Circle Of War
by Voidience
Summary: What if the Darkness isn't all as it seems? What if the truth about the Speaker and the Traveller are exposed? Which side will Riley fight for when his beliefs are broken and new truths are revealed by a warlock who commands an army of Vex?
1. Prologue - Opening Act

**A/N: I do not own Destiny nor will I ever. On that note, hello, hello! For this story to progress, I'll need a few OCs to build and expand on. I'm not sure how many guardians I need but at least 2 good guardians and 2 bad ones for now. I may extend the amount at any given time or add small cameos.**

**ALLIANCE:** Light or Dark.  
**NAME:**  
**GENDER, RACE AND CLASS:** For class, also add their subclass they mainly run in. Eg: hunter/ bladedancer.  
**AGE:**  
**APPEARANCE:** Hair, eye, skin colour. Height and anything else like scars/freckles etc.  
**PERSONALITY:** Please go in depth.  
**PRIMARY WEAPON:** I only require what TYPE they use. Eg: pulse rifles.  
**SPECIAL WEAPON:** Only what TYPE they use. Eg: Fusion rifle.  
**ARMOUR SHADERS:** Or colour of their armour they mainly use.  
**GHOST NAME:** name, colour, personality (or quirks) male or female.  
**OTHER FACTS/INFO:** Any quirks or hobbies etc. Or how they came to wake up even.

**Please be descriptive as possible when applying as it will 'up' your chances of being selected.  
****And now, without further ado, let's begin!**

* * *

_**Circle of War**  
__"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"  
_

**PROLOGUE - _Opening act_**_  
_

"Welcome back, guardian."

The same mechanical cyborg, known as a Frame replied to the appearance of a lone Warlock. Taking a moment to process the Frame's sudden attendance, the Warlock merely fumbled over a nod of his head in response. However the Frame was already moving on to greet the next arrivals of guardians landing in the hanger. With a deep sigh that rumbled from his throat, the Warlock took a final look to where his Ship had been towed away to. Most likely, whatever minimal damage had befallen it would be repaired by the diligent Shipwright Amanda Holiday.

The Warlock hoped the repairs would be done as soon as he was ready to collect his personal ship, that is, if he was going to come for it. With that everything else preoccupying his mind at the moment; he doubted he would spend a lot of time at the tower to begin with. Climbing the steps and leaving the massive hanger of departing and incoming ships to and from places, the cool of the night's air was calling him from beyond the steel hollowed hallways. He pressed through the hallway, barely stopping to greet the other guardians who lingered to strike idle chit-chats and such. One or two would wave and he'd nod in their general direction but he wouldn't sway from his course.

Outside, the sound of chatter grew. The Tower, as the guardians would call it was the highest building to reach the skies. It roared with life with the vast amount of guardians present.

To his left, the Warlock could immediately see the gigantic city below and the lustrous grey sphere of what many would call their saviour or _even_ a god. They call it the Traveller. The Warlock however, scoffed at such claims. For a god couldn't be hurt but here was their god. Ruined and motionless. Perhaps it's 'soul' had already left its body and the sphere was merely a husk. A shell? Whatever the case, the Warlock knew everyone would still blindly believe that one day, this entity would return to save them once again.

With a shake of his head, the warlock pressed on, ignoring more guardians as he made a bee-line for the Tower North. A small area containing a few other guardians, residence and the quarters of the enigmatic 'proclaimed' the Voice of the Traveller—The Speaker. He was what the other guardians called their ruler, their adviser and a mystery. There were quite a few debates on whether which affiliation he was bound to due to the three factions fighting for powerful at the Tower constantly. However the Warlock knew which side he was really fighting for.

The warlock entered the large room, filled with lights and a large centrepiece containing rotating gears and metal. Beyond the structure, the Warlock could see the Speaker leaning against the railings of the balcony that overshadowed the city below. As he moved to meet the Speaker, stopping not too far from him before clearing his throat.

"Guardian" the Speaker said after a moment of complete silence. He tore his attention away from the Traveller and to the Warlock who assumed a casual position at his side in a second. Though the Warlock felt the hairs on his arms stand through his heavy armour, he turned to give a curt nod to the man.

"What has befallen your team?"

The subject stung, right to the point. With a throaty sigh, the Warlock stepped back a bit, glancing from left to right. For a moment, he thought someone was watching him but then it was gone. Turning his attention back to the Speaker, he clenched his helmet under his arm tightly.

"The darkness…reached them" he explained with a deep frown. The memory of the fall of his team was still raw in his mind with each and every detail. Of bullets, of blood and destroyed Ghost. If the Speaker was distraught by his words, it did not show. For the Speaker never revealed his face nor seems to hold much emotion in his voice. "The mission was butchered. We were attacked by the Vex and lost all of the data we were sent to retrieve. My team was shot down, picked off by the Vex and Harpies as soon as we dealt with the Nexus Mind, Sekrion."

The Speaker nodded his head, "and you were uninjured?"

This struck a cord in the heart of the Warlock. For a moment, there was realisation on his face but it was quickly washed away when the Speaker continued to speak.

"What about your Ghost? May I see it?"

"My….Ghost?" the Warlock said earning another nod from the Speaker. What reason was there in summoning his Ghost? As silence lapsed on in the air, the warlock couldn't help but tense when the Speaker begun to pace. He said nothing for a moment before finally addressing the warlock, calm and collected as he was known for.

"I have been watching you for a while now." His very words seem to cause a shiver to cripple down the warlock's spine. The movement went unnoticed by the Speaker as he continued. "Your infatuation with the Vex, no… with power has evidently drawn you to do despicable acts. When you sought power, I saw you cast away your loyalty and purpose."

The warlock couldn't help but crack a smirk. Purpose? What purpose? The warlock laughed at such a word. Was his purpose to blindly support the Traveller—an entity he knew little off—upon revival? The entity that was claimed to have saved the remnants of humanity and its precious city? What proof did the Speaker have of this? Just because a giant ball beyond repair was simply floating in front of their faces was named a hero, did not mean it was one. The warlock couldn't help but shake his head at how pitiful all of this was. He had lingered for too long and it was time to end everything here and now.

Raising his hand, the warlock decided to humour the Speaker. "Sigma" he called summoning his Ghost which had materialized from the comfort of his armour. His Ghost blinked its optics, surveying its surroundings before hovering high above the warlock's head. It lingered there for a moment before darting its abnormal yellow glowing eye to the left of the room. In one fluid motion, its eyes released a yellow beam of digital light which scanned the surrounding area.

The warlock caught some movement to his left where the beam of his ghost's light had hit and he realised that perhaps he wasn't alone with the Speaker as he had initially thought. As the last of Sigma's rays disappeared, two figures were revealed to be in hiding using their invisible abilities. The warlock narrowed his eyes at them as they stumbled forward, shocked that their cloaks were easily dispelled.

"You wound me, Speaker" the warlock sighed, with a deep shake of his head. "Sending spies after your own guardian…"

"You are not a guardian" one of the hunters howled, taking a stand right in front of the Speaker. His friend quickly followed after them and the pair pulled their weapons free from their holsters. The warlock couldn't help but click his tongue at them with a scorn. Did he seem like such a threat to them?

"We saw it all! You killed those guardians and took the data!"

"Traitor!"

The words were harsh on the warlock and though a normally sensitive person would have jumped to defend themself but the warlock couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter. A traitor? He supposed he was one now that he had obtained such remarkable powers. Sigma made an odd crackling sound which sounded very much like a Vex trying to communicate before it hovered in front of its master. The hunters tensed upon seeing the ghost take a stand.

"Call me what you must but allow me to tell you something, Speaker" the warlock cackled. As the hunter's braced themselves for what they thought was an attack, the warlock took his time to slip his helmet back over his head. The hiss of his helmet clicking assured him that he was ready to end this boring conversation once and for all. "I will only say this once."

Sigma's pointed edges begun to shine with colour before it expanded, revealing the yellow throbbing aura most ghost would have. In the centre of his Ghost, spinning and releasing sparks of electricity out, was the heart of a Vex's Mind. A low hum begun to sing in the air before Sigma called forth grey smoke from above them. The familiar smoke ignited panic in the hunters as something solid dropped to the ground.

"A thousand years of lies will catch up to you" finished the warlock as he watched the solid forms of hammered bronze bodies and robotic skeletons took shape.

"Vex!" a hunter screamed as the warlock watched a large harpy cracked to life. Its wings charging before it flared open and rumbled forward towards the terrified hunters. The warlock wasted no time to see what had become of the harpy and hunters as he leapt over the side of the balcony, falling to the city before. "Stop!"

One of the hunters dashed forward only to stop as a charging harpy intercepted him. He released a scream as it rammed him, immediately exploding and taking the hunter with it. By now, guardians around the area were drawn to the sounds and chaos and begun filtering within the room. The remaining hunter begun shooting at the Vex but was soon overwhelmed. Guardians around were quick to protect the Speaker who begun shuffling back. When the Vex were all cleared from the room, a titan stormed towards the Speaker who had torn away from his saviours and made his way towards the balcony where the warlock had taken his plunge into the city.

"Speaker! What has happened here?" asked the female who followed his gaze to the city below. Her eyes were unable to see what the Speaker was seeing and this caused her to worry dreadfully.

The Speaker took a moment to collect his thoughts before he turned to face the titan. "Send for the Vanguards, we have a traitor loose."


	2. I - Crude awakening

**A/N: Hello, hello! **

**Welcome back guys and gals to another chapter! The beginning to all! Thank you for the supportive reviews, they really mean a lot to me and keep me motivated to write just as much. And for those that have sent in their OCs, thank you once again. Someone mentioned if the warlock from the prologue was Osiris. No, they aren't. However I will say I was inspired by Osiris to some degree whilst creating the warlock.**

**I'm still in need of more OCs though and hopefully I'll get some more in sooner rather than later! Once I have enough I'll then begin to sort through them, hopefully in the next few chapters I'll have everything prepared.**

**Okay, I'll stop talking now! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

**_Circle of War  
_**_"__Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born__"  
_

**CHAPTER ONE - _Crude awakening_**

Venus was a planet bursting with overgrown foliage and life however at the same time it was overrun with war. For as long as SERP-27 could remember, war has always been here. The Golden Age was probably the only time peace had ruled before the darkness had come to consumed everything. He vividly remembered that the start of the Collapse was the first time his creators had made him. Though most of his memory of his past life were damaged and lost beyond repair that he could only recall bits and pieces. Some good, some bad but most of them revolved around this war against the Darkness.

Now here he was, still fighting a war that stretched on for years. The EXO titan was huddled on top of some cliffs that overshadowed a proportion of a silver beach lined with wreckage of old ships and vehicles washed on shore. Though the cliff provided little cover, he had managed to settle behind a low shrub of foliage. With his sniper rifle firmly settled in his hands, SERP glanced through the scope of his rifle.

Today's catch was a group of five Fallens in a patrol unit.

The past two days, SERP had been monitoring them. Their patrol route was pretty easy to picture and predict. So easily that he had already thought about how he was going to ambush them. Further up the valley, he could see the dirt road lined with trees still wet from the morning drizzle of rain. Any moment now and he would see a dreg or vandal trudge through. They would make at least two pit stops along the way before finally arriving at the wreckage of the silver beach. They were scavengers so their priority was the beach filled with abandoned vehicles and ships. Before they could reach the beach however, SERP would strike them where they stood. As he counted the number of seconds before the first Fallen limb could be in line of his scope's sight, SERP was startled to see something else hurry along the path.

A lone white Ghost.

This concerned the titan who raised his head away from his scope—eyes narrowing at the small oddly shaped entity.

"A ghost?" SERP jerked his head to his right, spotting his dull grey Ghost, Digits materializing before him. Digits blinked its lenses before watching the Ghost make its way towards them. It stopped a few times to scan along the path at notable items before pressing on, searching for something or someone.

The titan went to comment on this Ghost but his words fell short as he spotted a few klicks behind the searching Ghost, a vandal. SERP's body tensed and he adjusted his rifle, quickly taking aim. Given time and the Fallen patrol would have spotted the Ghost. They would come rushing down the path, firing at its blindside. The Ghost would be destroyed before it found its target.

SERP had to act fast. As he took aim, one of the vandals at the front of the small group of five had already spotted the small Ghost. It screeched, raising an arm in the air before charging forward with its gun ready. SERP didn't blink as his first bullet dropped the vandal in seconds. Its teammates flinched as its comrade's body dropped dead in front of them. Immediately they begun scattering, using the covers of the trees for safety. SERP cursed, barely managing to pick off a dreg who dared to poke its head out before they discovered his location. They began returning fire and he had to abandon his position. Leaping to the ground below, SERP startled the small Ghost who almost collided with his face.

"Go! Find your guardian!" he ordered to which the Ghost merely bobbed up and down before quickly dashing for the beach.

The titan didn't watch him go as he quickly slung his sniper rifle over his shoulders and pulled his auto rifle out. He wasn't sure how long they had but the sooner the better the guardian was up, they could escape before reinforcements showed up. SERP took cover behind a wall of rock, feeling the pelts of alien weapons showering his position. He waited, counting the number of shots and listened. When there was an opening, he poked from behind cover and let loose a spray of bullets at the dregs. He tore through the shoulder of one of them who staggered back, shrieking in pain before SERP ended his screams with a bullet through his throat. The light faded from his eyes as his body dropped to the ground, startling his friends deeply.

One of them screamed again and begun firing inaccurately at him. SERP hissed as one of the bullets chipped a good chunk of rock near his shoulder. Too close. He waited again for the bullets to die down before poking out once more, firing blindly this time.

"He's found his guardian!" Digits cried, causing the titan to retreat back into cover. It was at that moment that he darted his eyes towards the shorelines and found the small Ghost expanding and quickly trying to piece together his guardian. If memory served SERP right, the time of resurrection of a new guardian would take more than thirty seconds. SERP needed to act fast. Taking hold of one of his grenades, he tossed them towards the Fallen. He heard them cry before the explosion drowned out their screams.

Daring to peek out, he spotted that the patrol group were all down and accounted for. Nodding to himself, SERP reloaded his auto rifle quickly before hearing more Fallen in the distant. A roar made SERP's stomach twist. Was that a captain? As he gripped his gun closely to his body, SERP darted his eyes over to the Ghost, the process was coming along nicely but would it be fast enough?

"15 more seconds!" Digits called, answering his concerns.

"Digits, scout for a safe location to retreat to while I'll cover them" SERP commanded as his Ghost quickly materialised and beamed off.

Now was a time to pull out all the shots. If a captain was on his way, SERP would have to render his shield defenceless before dealing with the big man. First he'd have to get rid of the small fries. Taking his auto rifle up again, SERP waited, occasionally poking his head out to see what was going on. He decided to shift to another position, somewhere with more of a vantage point. Settling in his new spot, he was able to see the Fallen reinforcements on their way. A captain, two vandals and three dregs.

"Great, the numbers have increased" SERP grumbled bitterly to himself as he readied a grenade.

Measuring the distance and his good arm, SERP tossed his last grenade at the incoming Fallen. The Captain reeled back, but took the full brute of the grenade as it exploded, taking a good chunk of armour off one of the vandals and ending the life of two dregs. As they scattered for cover, SERP popped up from his position, firing at the fleeing aliens. He clipped the leg of a dreg that went down screaming in agony along with a vandal who lost its head in the process.

The captain was quick to recover and returned fire at SERP, who ducked in time as bullets whistled overhead. He thanked the Traveller that he was able to duck in time before counting again. As he counted, he spotted the Ghost finishing up the last bit of reviving his guardian. That was one task down, now to get them both out of here.

SERP waited before jumping back up to fire blindly at the enemy. As he did so, the Fallen ducked back into cover from his bullets. SERP wasted no time, running towards the Ghost and newly awoken guardian whilst firing. Nestled against an old rusty tank was the form of the dazed guardian. SERP slung his rifle over his shoulders before grabbing the guardian by the shoulders, shaking him roughly.

"Eyes up guardian!" he cried, startling the guardian who gripped him tightly. There was no time to explain as he pulled the guardian up. "We have to move!"

"W-wharg…" the guardian had attempted to communicate back but ended up collapsing into SERP who grunted at the sudden weight on him. Gripping the guardian by the shoulder, he realised that newly awoken guardians were still weak and disorientated from years of slumber. He needed time to adjust to his body. Time which they didn't have. A bullet whirled over SERP's head as the EXO grunted. Taking the brute weight of the guardian upon himself, the titan began peddling across the silver sand. He spotted Digits in the distance, moving quickly towards them. There was no time to look back but the titan was sure that the Fallen were following them.

"Quickly, guardians!" Digits howled as he turned to lead the way. SERP didn't waste time and increased his speed. He was almost dragging the poor guardian along as they ran across the shores of Venus. Rounding the corner, SERP followed Digits who turned into a small darken cavern. The lights from both Ghosts flickered to life almost instantly as SERP concentrated on following his Ghost in front of them. They ran for what felt like hours through the maze like cavern before Digits pulled to a stop. He turned to watch SERP skidding to a stop with the limp guardian in his arms.

"We should be fine here" Digits replied before moving pass its master to the narrow tunnels they had run through. "I'll go and check if the Fallen have followed us."

"Be careful" SERP replied before allowing the guardian to rest upon a large rock. His Ghost merely nodded before disappearing around the corner. SERP watching him go for a moment then turned to the guardian who had collapsed thankfully against the rock. Their breathing was still rapid and they began coughing quite a number of times. The sounds a human or Awoken would make. For a moment, SERP had forgotten that humans were not made from mechanical parts like himself and that that they would tire faster.

"My apologises" SERP started as he settled beside the rock the guardian had buried his helmet into. The guardian didn't reply, instead his Ghost had hovered to meet SERP.

"We thank you for your help" it said, blinking its eyes a few times.

SERP nodded his head, "don't mention it. Guardians, new and old need to band together. I couldn't very well leave you there alone."

"Thank you once again"

SERP nodded his head before turning his eyes towards the new guardian. Their breathing had slowed as well as their coughing. SERP watched as the guardian pulled away from the rock, shaking their head before turning to meet his gaze. Though they both wore helmets on, the titan was sure the new guardian would have millions of questions pounding in their mind. He would gladly tell the guardian whatever they wanted to know as soon as Digits returned to confirm that they had lost the Fallen.

"Do you have a name?" SERP inquired which made the Ghost cocked his head over to the guardian. Most Ghost did not know their master's name so it was up to the guardian to figure it out. There were a few times that SERP had met a few guardians who knew not of their name and instead was given one by another. This occurrence was normal in his line of work. Taking their silence as evident that they could not recall their name or past, SERP stood—stretching a little.

"Regardless, we'll have to wait for my Ghost Digits, to return before figuring out what to do. No need to strain yourself now. Your name and memories may come back to you at a later date" SERP assured which caused the guardian to nod their head. "In the meantime, my name is SERP-27. Many simply call me SERP. If you need anything, feel free to ask"

The guardian nodded their head once again as Digits returned in time.

"The Fallen have lost us. We can leave for better ground now if you wish." Replied his Ghost to which SERP decided was a good idea. Helping the guardian up, SERP allowed the guardian to use his shoulder to lean on as they walked. Their Ghosts continued to light the way before they found an opening and no longer required any lights. SERP asked Digits to find an area safe enough to rest for a human so that they could make camp for the day. By now the sun was setting and the orangey yellow glow of Venus' skies were fading to purple and blue. When night came, it was a world filled with terrible activity from both the Fallen and Vex.

SERP knew from experience with a newly awoken guardian at his side and low on reserved ammo, the titan didn't want to spend any moment walking around at night. It was time to find a safe place and settle for the night until morning. Digits was quick to disappear before returning a short while to alert its master that he had found a suitable place. SERP pressed on, eager to get away from the area and somewhere warm and safe. 15 minutes of manoeuvring around terrain, SERP could spot what appeared to be old rusty clusters of buildings. As they neared the complex, Digits took a moment to scan the area before proceeding towards a rusty door that had been broken from its hinges.

It took SERP only a moment to remove the door back a bit to allow everyone entry. Once inside, he slipped the door back down and hoped that Digits was sure the building was empty of life. They moved through the old building, taking note of the shabby condition the rooms were in. It seemed to be some sort of old hospital of sorts. But whatever equipment that was once essential were stripped away. The place was empty, picked clean by the Fallen presumably.

Digits settled within one of the lower floors of the hospital as SERP shut the door behind them. It seemed like some sort of lounge with a small kitchen. A staff restricted area? The titan set the tired guardian down on one of the old benches before taking in the sight of the room.

"Hold on, I'll see if I can get the power working" Digits said before disappearing away.

"Power? In such an old place?" inquired the young guardian's Ghost. "Does it still work?"

SERP turned to the curious little entity before nodding his head. "There should be a backup generator here if it hasn't been taken."

"Interesting…" mumbled the Ghost before hovering over to one of the many boarded windows of the facility.

SERP waited before there was a rumble on one of the lower levels. The old floors rattled with life before a low hum of machines echoed about. Lights flickered on and off in rapid session before finally they had remained on.

A moment later, Digits returned, "I don't know how long the power will last, but it should suffice for a while."

Nodding to his Ghost, the titan figured it was the best they could muster on such short notice. Normally such a state wouldn't be such a problem for the EXO but his company today wasn't exactly adaptable like himself. Human or Awoken, SERP could only guess what their gender and race for now. The titan took a moment to process everything that had happened that day. It was then that he remembered the Fallen captain back at the beach. For days he had been scouting the area, watching and this was the first time he had seen the large Fallen. Where had it come from? And what power it had. If any other guardians were to tread towards the shorelines, SERP was sure that they would encounter the captain again.

Not to mention that by now the captain would have doubled their efforts to patrol the area more thoroughly. Something must be done and the titan was sure that he would be the only one suitable to deal with the task. But should he take the guardian back to the Tower or complete this task first?

Clenching his hands into a fist, Digits came to his side. It only took one look to his Ghost before the titan found his answer.

Whether the young guardian was ready or not, the captain had to be dealt with and as soon as possible.


	3. II - Cornered

**A/N: Hello, hello guys!**

**These chapters may seem slow but trust me, its just a build up for those juicy chapters to come. On another note, a few more entries for OCs would be loved before I start picking through them. I don't mind if it's by reviews or PMs!**

**Alright, hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

_**Circle of War  
**"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"**  
**_

**CHAPTER TWO - _Cornered_**

A strange orange glow crept up over the horizon as light leaked through the cracks between the wooden boards fastened to the windows within their small room. SERP had remained awake for most of the night before shutting down for at least 30 minutes as his Ghost took watch. Now that he was operational and ready, the titan was wide awake and had been filling in the blank spaces in the newly awakened guardian's mind. For an hour or so, the young man had asked questions regarding what had become of the paradise planet known as Venus. Of the Traveller and what Ghost or guardians were. Ultimately he asked why he was resurrected and SERP had said that he was chosen to fight their enemy, the Darkness. As the will of the Traveller had wanted.

"I remember…" the young guardian started with a deep cough from his lungs. He took a moment to calm himself before continuing. "I died during an invasion…"

"Invasion?" SERP said as he folded his arms over his chest, his mind searching his memory log. "Ah, the Collapse."

"Collapse?"

"When the Traveller was wounded by the Darkness, the Solar System was thrown into turmoil. We lost much, including Venus. You had probably died in the first few weeks of the Collapse."

The guardian glanced down at his hands before seeing his Ghost hover in front of him. It blinked its eyes before resting in his palms.

"That was decades ago" confirmed his Ghost. "I've been searching for you for a very long time."

The guardian said nothing about the subject, lost in his mind. SERP waited before Digits returned through the cracks of the partially broken door. SERP stood to greet his ghost who paused for a moment to look at the young guardian and their Ghost with a critical stare.

"I've scanned the area, no Fallen activity in sight, not for now that is" informed Digits.

SERP nodded his head and turned to the young guardian who was staring down at their palm where their Ghost was informing them of some other vital information regarding their current age. Though the guardian didn't say anything, SERP did see them nod their head in reply.

"We should get a move on" the titan explained with a roll of his shoulders. They have spent enough time lingering around and conversing. There was still the issue with the captain SERP had seen yesterday as well as getting this guardian to the Tower. Besides, SERP figured it wouldn't take long for the young guardian to get hungry as he had no breakfast to dig into nor dinner from last night. Not to mention that EXO's didn't have any reason to carry food around when they themselves could not eat.

"Are we heading for the Tower?" inquired the Ghost who hovered high to meet SERP's face.

"Yes and no. Before we head to the Last City, I have to deal with that captain back there" explained the titan who turned for the door. "If I leave it, other guardians may get ambushed."

"And what about us?" the Ghost asked again.

SERP glanced at them from over his shoulders. A newly awakened guardian was often inexperienced with combat. They were weak and needed much time for training before becoming a full fledge guardian. He couldn't very well bring the young guardian to battle with him—especially against a Fallen captain who could easily rip them to shreds. Concern formed in the titan's mind before the young guardian stood and took a step forward.

"I'll help" said the guardian.

"Help?" Digits doubted the newly awakened guardian could do anything beneficial for them but SERP had accepted the guardian's offer for aid. If someone was willing to help, SERP wasn't going to turn them down. Though it was dangerous, the titan figured the best possible place would be shooting from afar. Deciding that his sniper rifle would put the inexperience guardian as far away from combat as possible, SERP was sure they could learn from watching the titan.

He retrieved his sniper rifle and offered it out to the guardian. "Do you know how to use a gun?"

The guardian nodded his head slowly, "Yes…"

"You've used one before?" questioned the titan who fished for extra rounds and handed them to the young guardian. The guardian nodded his head, clenching the weapon firmly in their grip. Deciding to only inquire about it until he was ready, SERP patted the guardian's shoulder.

"Ready up, guardian" he said earning a nod of confidence from them as the titan lifted his auto rifle over his shoulder.

"W-wait…" the young guardian called, stopping the titan in mid-step. "My name, it's Riley. Riley Kempfr, sir."

"Riley, huh? Well guardian, it's nice to meet you" he responses whilst extending his hand out for the young man to shake. Hesitate at first, Riley eventually grasped the titan's hand to which they shook firmly upon.

With introductions finally over, SERP turned and led the group out into the harden battlefields of Venus.

* * *

It had been a very long time since Riley had used a gun.

Though he had been dead for more than a few thousand years or so, the feel of SERP's sniper rifle felt so foreign to him. He hadn't even seen this design before. Not to mention when he glanced through the scope—the HUD was crawling with numbers, bars and grid-like lines that confused him. It took him a moment to ask the veteran guardian what a few of the new aspects on his sniper rifle was before he felt confident enough to wield it.

As the pair walked through the darken hallways, their path only lit by the light of their Ghosts—Riley contemplated the vast amount of information he had just received. He had been dead for so long, so much had happened during that time. The Traveller he thought was a god was now weakened, orbiting above the Last City on earth. Then there was the whole deal of the Collapse and the Vex, Hive, Fallen and Cabal taking control of multiple planets in their solar system. It was a time of war. War that brought so much pain in him.

He couldn't remember much about his past life, only pieces of them in the form of quick flashes of images. But Riley felt that waking up in the middle of some battle was normal. He felt like he had done this before, picking up a rifle and going to war. He was sure he could recall how to use a weapon with ease which scared him.

Who was he?

The sudden rattle of noises alerted the group and Riley skidded to a stop. Then came the sounds of muffled gunfire. Was that a few levels above them? It sounded so close that Riley could feel the vibrations around him. SERP had paused as well, his eyes searching the darkness before turning to his Ghost who was blinking its optics rapidly.

"Are we alone, Digits?"

The little Ghost made a noise, scanning the area before hovering close to SERP. "Something is interfering with my readings—I can't, wait is this a jammer? How…? Regardless, we are not alone."

The titan made a noise, as if grunting before raising his auto rifle up. He turned to look over his shoulders at Riley who clenched the sniper rifle close as if it was a lifeline. The titan nodded his head before slowly picking up the pace again, this time watching his corners and surroundings for vital signs of life and disturbances.

Something in the distant rattled as if a tin can had fallen before SERP stopped again, his body instinctively on the defence. Riley halted as well, his eyes wide with fear as he tried to see through the darkness of the long hallway. There was a low growl and the sound of footsteps drawing near. Something shattered along the way before the silhouette of a monster emerged into full view.

"Fallen!" Digits screamed causing everything in the building to erupt into chaos.

The monster, a mighty and large Fallen pushed forward just as SERP begun firing. The hallway was lit with loud gunfire and Riley watched as bullets pelted the large Fallen who didn't seem to be deterred.

"Fall back!" SERP cried as he ran backwards whilst continuing to fire. By now Riley had seem the face of the mighty Fallen and found that it was a Captain. Was it the same one that chased them yesterday? How it had found them was beyond him as he turned to run. Digits whizzed by him, instructing the young guardian to follow his lead. Behind him he could hear the booming footsteps of both SERP's and the Fallen. The hallway shook as Riley almost slipped over his own two feet running around a corner.

There was a sudden cry from behind him as Riley dared to look. He pulled to an immediate halt as soon as he spotted SERP going down on all fours. The titan clenched a wound to his shoulder where a hiss of smoke was escaping from. He had been hit.

"Sir!" Riley was immediately at his side but stared wide-eyed at the approaching Fallen. Its massive size almost occupied the entire hallway and only sent a shudder down his spine.

"We have to move, now!" cried Riley's Ghost.

Determined to not meet his end, SERP rose, ignoring the wound and pushed Riley into action. The group continued to run, trying to catch up to where Digits had disappeared off to. Riley had spotted the Ghost at the bottom of a fleet of stairs leading deeper into the complex. Although he wanted to protest about their venture into the unknown, Riley urged the titan along as they descended the stairs.

"Digits, get us out of here!"

The little Ghost made a sound of displeasure before darting off through another hallway. They followed him, trusting in his sense of direction. However it was their luck when the group ran right into a dead end.

"Shit!" Riley cried, inspecting the vast amount of rubble in front of them. The floor above them had collapsed and was blocking the way through the other side. Digits groaned, darting left and right of the rubble. Even Riley's Ghost joined the action, searching for a way through it.

"We'll never get through" growled the titan who whipped away to take aim for the impending danger. They were trapped and likely to die in this confined place if they didn't figure a way through this.

"There!" Digits cried, hovering low and shining his light at a shelf in the way of an opening to another room on the side. "We need to move it, now!"

SERP was fast to act, handing his auto rifle to Riley to hold. He turned, gripping the large frame and heaved regardless of his injuries. Though Riley had wanted to help ease the titan's pain and take his place, the sounds of the Fallen captain grew near. Riley turned, hearing the echoing roar of the Captain who was gaining momentum on their position. He felt the fear catch in his throat as he darted an eye back to SERP. Judging by the way the titan was handling the shelf it was heavier than expected and would take too long.

Riley inhaled slowly before raising the auto rifle and taking aim.

On instinct, he pulled the safety off and begun firing as soon as the captain came into view. The recoil caught him by surprise but managing to recover fast, the young guardian held the weapon in place. His bullets whistled towards the Fallen who almost skidded to a stop as rounds buried themselves into his shield. Riley bit his lip, emptying a clip into the Captain's shield. It took an entire clip to disable the Fallen's shield who stumbled back in surprise.

Riley turned in time to hear the shelf drop, allowing them entry to the room beyond. The titan didn't have to order Riley to get inside as they poured in. There was no time to linger around as the pair moved through the room which appeared to be some sort of cluster of office tables and chairs. Was this a staff's office? As they rushed through, exiting out of another door, the pair was startled to see that beyond this room, half of it had collapsed. The ground had multiple holes and much of the second floor had crashed down on them.

Digits however didn't seem discouraged and rushed for a room to the side. The pair climbed into the room, careful to not trip just as the Captain rounded the corner. Bullets flew pass them and Riley dived to the ground for safety.

"Get up!" roared SERP as he gripped the young guardian by the shoulder. Pulling him up, the room rumbled to life as the captain clawed its way in. Fear pushed the young guardian to action and he paddled forward, exiting the room in time before the captain could take aim again. They rushed through the small hallway, leaping over holes and torn down structures. Eventually they came to an opening and SERP cursed loudly.

All the exits were closed.

They had run into a dead end once again.


	4. III - Apprentice

**A/N: man, the weekends comes to fast lately. In case you guys didn't noticed, I tend to update every weekend but now that I'm getting busy...updates may take longer. My apologies! On another note, I will be selecting OCs by the next couple of chapters BUT, this doesn't mean I have closed OC entries. I may need more OCs so keep them coming if you guys want! Just keep in mind that these guys may or may not have a huge role in this story. =)**

**Once again, thanks a lot guys! Keep the reviews and comments coming! Much appreciated!**

* * *

_**Circle of War**  
__"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"_

**CHAPTER THREE - _Apprentice_**

SERP didn't let up as he pelted the Captain with bullets. The Captain screeched and stumbled back as his shield took heavy fire from the titan's auto rifle. Behind the titan, two Ghosts were frantically looking for an escape route whilst Riley settled behind a cluster of rubble. In his hand he was wielding the sniper rifle and took aim at the Captain's head, waiting.

As soon as the shield was down, he would fire so he counted and watched.

There was a burst of light as the blue shield on the Captain disintegrated after the last bullet escaped from the titan's weapon. It was at that moment that Riley fired, his bullet hitting the Captain in the face and managing to only crack its helmet. The Fallen stumbled back, slamming into the rubble behind it with a painful scream but also managed to drop into a roll and skidded away into cover in one of the connecting rooms. Riley cursed, the bullet didn't end him.

"Last mag!" SERP howled as he finished throwing the clip into his gun. "Digits! Find us a way out of here, now!"

The Ghost grumbled something inaudible as it whizzed by, scanning and searching with Riley's Ghost.

The titan turned to Riley who was waiting for the Captain to reappear again. "Cover me!"

"Yes, sir!" came his immediate reply as the titan turned back to his task. He couldn't allow the Fallen to regenerate its shield again so instead he needed to flush it out of its spot. Though his shoulder groaned in pain to the wound he had received, SERP was more eager to get this over and done with. Closing his hands into a fist, the titan glanced down at his gauntlets. He channelled his energy into his fist and felt the surge of power swell in him. He was ready.

Throwing his auto rifle on his back, the titan counted to three before charging forward.

"S-sir?!" Riley called but was ignored as the titan pressed on down the hallway to where the Captain had run off too.

As he rounded the bend, startling the Captain in the process who was waiting for his shield to regenerate, SERP released all of his energy and shoulder charged the Captain directly. The Fallen screamed as it was thrown back into a cluster of shelves and tables. SERP reared back, skidding to a stop from the charge and turned to run, despite the burning pain in his shoulder. The Captain wasn't dead, that much was evident so he wasted no time in getting out of the way. Just as he left the room, the Captain was back on its feet, releasing a loud and angry growl.

He felt the thunderous stomping of the Fallen's boots behind him in seconds as the titan retreated back into the hallway.

"Shoot!" the titan cried.

Riley didn't have to be told twice as he fired. The bullet exploded from the chamber and soared through the air right into the Captain's head again. There was a loud explosion and scream as the Fallen's head erupted against the wall. Its body went slack and it crumbled, blood spraying everywhere. The Titan slowed to a stop and turned, whistling at the corpse behind him.

Riley reloaded his gun and stood, breathing hard.

"We found a way!" Digits replied a moment later as the titan shook his head.

The pair exchanged looks before nodding their newfound respects for one another and turned to join their Ghosts. Digits was hovering lowly over a piece of wood that appeared to be another piece of shelf ripped into place against a low wall. They scanned the piece once more before confirming that this wood was blocking the exits but was weak enough to break. SERP nodded his head and ordered everyone to stand back as he prepared himself for another charge. Some seconds later, the charge smashed through the weak wooden frame and into sunlight.

The morning rays of sun leaked through the opening and felt refreshing to their bodies as their Ghost cheered. Riley took a step out, realising that most of the complex had been ripped open from an explosion years ago. He sighed, relaxing as the titan released a loud sigh.

"Good to be outside again" he mumbled before turning to Riley. Patting the young guardian's shoulder he nodded his head to him. "Well done kid, now we can get back to the Tower."

"The Tower? Oh, right, the Last City"

The titan nodded his head and turned to his Ghost, telling him to get his Jumpship ready.

They were going home.

* * *

"It works" the warlock replied as he stared down at the small hand-sized mechanical object in his hands. His Ghost, Sigma zeroed in on the object, scanning it for a moment before moving away towards a cluster of aging computers.

"The jammer has a wide radius" Sigma explained, scanning the computer and bringing it to life. His warlock watched the Ghost get to work before strapping the jammer onto his belt. He crossed his arms over his chest and waited for the Ghost to finish its task. When Sigma was done, he turned, shutting the controls off. "However, it is very limited to what it disrupts. A radar for one, as well as transmissions and Commlinks."

"Electromagnetic pulse?"

"On a small scale, yes."

"And it won't affect the Vex?"

"That much isn't tested but it shouldn't interfere with their programming. Would you like to test it?"

The warlock shook his head, deciding to try another time. "No, that can wait. You can alter the jammer another time."

"Very well, sir"

The warlock nodded his head and pulled out his handcannon, checking the safety off and firing at the computer. The electronic exploded in a fury tiny flame of destructive electrical fire. Its keys and pad destroyed beyond repair. Satisfied, the warlock holstered his weapon and turned for the door just as the low rumble of gunfire echoed from below them. Sigma's eyes spun and he hovered closely to the warlock who paused in mid-step.

"Guardians, here?"

"They're below us" Sigma replied. "Two or three levels down. Should we intercept them?"

The warlock paused for a moment, staring at his Ghost before shaking his head. "We don't have time for this. We'll let that Fallen deal with them."

"The same one that followed us here?"

The warlock nodded, a smirk forming upon his lips. "Of course"

With a final look around the room, the warlock exited the small room and through the darkness. He stepped over the lifeless corpse of two guardians, kicking fresh bullet shells out of his way with a satisfied smirk.

* * *

"Guardian, you have been summoned by the Vanguards ASAP" Digits informed as they materialized into a spacious busy hanger.

The hanger was bustling with activity. Guardians were running about, chattering with one another before moving on to whatever task they had to tend to. Landing in a massive hanger and exiting orbit had made the young guardian sick. He wobbled about, almost collapsing against some crates if SERP hadn't been there to help him.

"I feel…sick" groaned the young guardian.

"Easy, guardian" SERP chuckled, "you'll get used to it soon enough."

Another groan escaped the guardian's lips which made the titan chuckle again. When Riley was deemed fit to hold himself up after a few seconds, the titan released him and took one look across the room. Something felt weird. The buzzing of chatter was normal but the air felt heavy and almost thick which concern him. SERP exhaled and slipped his helmet off with a hiss.

Riley almost jumped in his boots when the titan's identity was fully revealed.

"A-a machine?" he shuttered, swallowing a thick lump in his throat.

Titan cocked his head to one side, forgetting that he had yet to explain the amount of races that crowded the Tower on a daily basis. If he could smile, SERP could have been and instead patted the young guardian on the shoulder.

"An EXO to be precise" Riley's Ghost intervened. "They've been around since the Golden Ages. Were they not in your time?"

Riley nodded his head slowly. "Ah yes…but they…I didn't get to see much on Venus. During my deployment, it was rare to see an EXO…"

"Deployment?" questioned SERP. "You were part of the army on Venus?"

Riley nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yes, if memory serves me right. But I only remember bits and piece. I was…I was a soldier, part of the 16th Royal Patrol Regiment, Venus Artillery."

"During the Collapse" SERP mumbled which earned another nod from the young guardian. "Well, that explains your expertise with a weapon."

"Yes" replied Riley a little sheepishly. "It's almost like on instinct."

"Hmm" agreed the titan before he pointed to the young man's helmet. "Well regardless, we're here now and it's rude to have your helmet on. Guardian, you can take it off."

Riley apologised quickly and fumbled to slip his helmet off. When he couldn't find the button to release his head, SERP chuckled and stepped in to give him a hand. With a hiss of repressed air, Riley exhaled noisily as his helmet was pulled from his head. Finally free from his helmet, he was happy to shake off the sweat from his sandy blonde hair and rub his tired hazel green eyes.

"Guardian, it's time to move. There are some people I'd like you to meet" Riley nodded his head and followed the titan out of the hanger. Everything was new to the young guardian who awed at the sights. SERP had to stop to explain a few things, like how they operated and whom they were going to meet or what would happen for the guardian.

Riley didn't say much as he listened, eager to learn much about this new world he had been revived into. As they neared the Vanguard quarters, a guardian met them with a deep frown.

"Did you just return, SERP?" inquired the human guardian with bright blue eyes and messy brown hair.

"Is something wrong, Jake?"

The guardian sighed, "You didn't hear from anyone?"

The titan said nothing, merely tilting his head in wonder. Again the guardian sighed and turned his helmet around in his hands. "A day ago, a guardian went rogue and attempted to kill the Speaker."

"What? Is the Speaker—"

"Oh he's fine, but…" Jake shook his head disappointed that such a thing had happened. "That's not all. The guardian that betrayed us, it's Akvar."

"Akvar…?" Riley said, catching Jake's attention for the first time since his interruption.

"Oh, uh, new guardian?" Jake said, suddenly embarrassed he had said such things.

SERP held up a hand and shook his head. "Thank you for the information Jake, I'll get the rest from the vanguard."

Jake nodded his head and wished them good-luck before slipping his helmet on and heading for the hanger, pressed for time. Riley watched him go before turning back to SERP who was encouraging the guardian to get a move on. They descended the steps, greeting other guardians before coming into a large room with a large rectangular table in the centre. Three guardians stood at the table, conversing with one another. As they neared, Riley was startled to see the race known as the Awoken at the table as well. SERP had informed him that the Tower was dominated by three races, the Awoken, the Exo and the Humans. But seeing them up close was an entirely different story.

As SERP and Riley neared the table, the group's chatter died down. The EXO was first to greet the pair, reaching out a hand to shake with SERP.

"Welcome back, SERP-27"

"I take it your mission went well with some additional help?" inquired the female human, her eyes perking at Riley with interest.

SERP nodded his head, introducing Riley as a newly awakened guardian along with his Ghost. SERP then went on to introduce the three people before him as the vanguards of their respected classes. Commander Zavala, Cayde-6 and Ikora Rey all returned a firm handshake to the young guardian.

With introduction out of the way, Cayde cleared his throat and crossed his arms.

"SERP-27, we have another task for you since you are here."

Commander Zavala was next to speak. "There has been an influx of new guardians lately and little time to teach them the adequate skills necessary to their survival against our enemies."

SERP seemed to perk with interest at the vanguard's words before nodding his head. "You want me to train him, like the others?"

If Cayde could smile and grin he would have but instead he settled for chuckling and clapping his hands together. "Precisely! We've seen you in the past and you are more than a capable candidate to train newly formed guardians with ease."

"If it puts you at ease" SERP said casting his eyes to the vanguards who in turn nodded their heads to agree. "Very well, I'll take up the position once more. Should there be another other, please notify me as soon as possible."

"Of course" Ikora replied with a warm smile.

"Oh, and his class?" Cayde chipped in again, drawing everyone's attention. "We'll leave it up to you to figure that out. From experience, you should be able to tell who is suitable for which profession."

"Of course" SERP mumbled with a final nod before the vanguard wished them good-luck and returned to their meeting at their large table. Drowning out their low chatter, SERP directed Riley out of the hall and into the open. The sun was still high in the sky with a cool breeze blowing. Riley inhaled instinctively before drawing his attention to his mentor, SERP who was contemplating what would be their first agenda.

"Digits" he summoned his Ghost whom was more than eager to stretch itself out. "Please notify the appropriate person of the details. We'll require a room for Riley as well as the suitable equipment for him."

Digits merely made a buzzing sound before darting off back down the hallway where the vanguards were located. Riley watched him disappear around the corner before SERP asked him to follow him. They ascended some stairs and made their way towards the gunsmith, Banshee-44. The mechanical Frame was busy speaking with a guardian hunter who was presenting a heavy machine gun. SERP moved slowly before finally coming to a stand by the counter. The Frame was first to acknowledge the titan before the hunter did as well.

"SERP!" the hunter cried before shaking hands with the titan firmly. "Back already? I'd thought you were stationed at Venus for another two days?"

SERP chuckled, shaking his head. "Something came up and I had to rush my schedule" he commented before glancing down at the heavy machine gun in front of him. Riley shuffled closer to the counter where the heavy weapon was laid, curiously. On closer inspection, the gun was red, black and white in colour, heavy but also strangely designed.

"Are you still tinkering with that?"

The hunter smirked, nodding his head before picking up the weapon. He held it like a prize, firm in his hands for them to see. "What do you think? It's not complete yet but it's coming along nicely."

"Does it work?" SERP inquired.

The hunter smirked wickedly before nodding. "Well, if you're asking me if it shoots. Like a beast but what I want from it…well that needs a bit more adjusting." For a moment, SERP said nothing until the hunter realised his company and set the weapon down. He pointed at Riley before clearing his throat. "I didn't know you had company with you, SERP."

Riley was starting to think that he was invisible with the way guardians seem to ignore his presence as of late. SERP chuckled and quickly introduced his apprentice.

"He's my new apprentice—"

"Taking some in again I see." The hunter beamed before offering a hand to shake with Riley. "The name's Pahanin Errata. If you need anything—another helping hand for any mission—don't be afraid to ask me. No one should brave the frontier on their own."

"Oh, uh, okay, thanks" Riley replied sheepishly.

With a final firm shake of Riley's hand, Pahanin took back his weapon and said his goodbyes; wishing them luck as well. The pair watched him leave before SERP turned to the Frame behind the counter and inquired about weapons for newly awakened guardians. The Frame took a moment to think before twisting around to inspect his supplies. When he turned back to them, he had a weapon which looked like they could use some cleaning and upgrading.

"For now, guardians" the Frame said. "I have only this. Return back to me within three days and I may offer you a better selection."

"They'll do for now, thank you" SERP sighed before handing Banshee some glimmer. Handing the weapons to the Riley, SERP decided he would get some repairs done for his shoulder. An hour later of idle chatter and informative knowledge; a tour was in order for the new guardian. SERP showed him the entire area in the Tower Plaza, making sure to throw in a few tales and histories of some of the characters the Tower inhabited once. He then moved on to several other districts before finally ending the quick tour to Riley's new quarters after Digits returned with some information. By now, night had fallen and Riley was starved so SERP offered to buy him dinner. He took him to the local bar on a separate lower level.

At this time of night, the bar was bustling with activity. Those that had recently returned for the day were already feasting on their meals whilst others simply mingled and conversed with other fellow guardians. Others simply wanted to be alone and spend their evening drinking away. SERP led the awe-struck guardian to a table to which he quickly ordered before SERP excused himself to approach the barman at the counter. Riley took the time to indulge his sights with the warm atmosphere in the bar. For some reason, he felt at ease and almost at home within the Tower, finding the environment strangely welcoming.

Riley's attention was soon drawn to the furthest wall where a couple of comfy sofas were located. The wall was decorated vastly with trophies from hunts and expeditions into the wild as well as scribbles in the wall. Riley spotted someone huddled by one section of the wall and realised it was a Frame; scribbling away.

"What's that?" Riley mumbled as SERP returned with a small glass of water.

"Ah the Wall of Achievements…" mumbled SERP who followed his eyes to the vast wall. "Only the best make it there, guardian."

"The best, huh…"

Riley watched as a decent chunk of text was scribbled way by the Frame. "What do you think it is doing?"

SERP paused, leaning in their seat as he inspected the Frame closely. Since he was closer, they could actually see what the Frame was doing. "Crossing out a name I take it."

Crossing? Riley folded his arms over his chest as the Frame finished its work and stood up. It glanced around quickly before gathering its kit and making its way to the barman where it interrupted what another guardian was saying and said its piece before leaving. As Riley watched it leave, he turned his attention back to his mentor who had stood up to inspect what the frame had done. Riley was quick to scramble after them. The name was bolded and simply said 'AKVAR' in neat writing with a line striking through it. As if crossing it out. Under it hung a helmet of a Cabal as well as a dagger of the Fallen. There were also some scribbles under the name such as,

_Dominated the Crucible. Led the assault in Lion's Den, Mars. Defeated Draksis, Fallen Kell. Repelled 298th wall breech…_

The list seemed to continue, even having smaller descriptions on the helmet and knife that hung firmly on the wall.

"Akvar, huh" SERP mused aloud.

"Who is he?" Riley inquired. He recalled the words of the previous gossiping guardian, Jake and frowned in thought at it.

SERP sighed and shook his head. "Another guardian who achieved so much before falling prey to the Darkness. Everyone idolised him but…like many others—they fell."

"He…didn't die, did he?" Riley asked with interest.

"No, I don't think so" sighed the titan as he allowed his eyes to travel along the many names that filled the wall. "He's probably still doing the bidding of the Darkness as we speak."

"Then he's a …a traitor?"

SERP 'hmm-ed' again, finding it hard to answer the curious guardian. They remained like this in silence for a long moment, their eyes travelling along the vast wall. There were a number of names, whom like Akvar, had fallen as well. Traitors, with their names scribbled out as if their achievements were simply a mistake on the wall. They were proud Guardians who had turned their backs to the Traveller, the Light. Riley couldn't even comprehend what would drive them to change like that.

All he could ask is why?


	5. IV - Thriving

**A/N: Hello, hello! Sorry for the delay, I've been playing Iron Banner lately so I've been putting this chapter off for a bit. One more chapter after this and I should start introducing some Ocs. I'll start responding to reviews and such at the end of the chapter. Feels weird not replying to people's comments...**

**Enjoy guys!**

* * *

_**Circle of War**  
__"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"  
_

**CHAPTER FOUR - _Thriving_**

The Moon was different than the stories Riley grew up with. A once lustrous human colony stood here and now it was nothing more than an empty place for the Hive and Fallen to slink through. Thousands of years have changed the Moon and Riley couldn't help but shiver at the cold and lonely place it was. SERP however was more impervious to the damage and pressed on, urging Riley to keep close as they landed.

It had only been two weeks since Riley had finally been able to leave the Tower and the suffocating lectures and practices he had to endure with his mentor. But the Moon was one of his least favourite places to spend his first day out in the field.

Shuddering as a chill ran up his spine, Riley adjusting the strap to his scout rifle and fell into steps with his mentor. As they climbed the many hills of the moon, more of the Hive and Fallen's carnage became evident to him. It felt like only yesterday that he had been told about the Collapse and what had befallen the Solar System in his absence. Everything felt so surreal.

Digits appeared a moment later when the pair paused to check their current location. Using Digits aids, the Ghost had downloaded a simple charted map for them to examine before they pressed on towards one of the old Moonbases scattered about. They walked peacefully side by side until Riley became restless from the silence and begun firing a question of interest.

"Question" he said catching SERP's sideways glance. "Your Ghost, sir. Was he always called Digits?"

SERP made a noise as if he was chuckling just as Digits narrowed its eyes at him. "No, I gave him the name."

Riley frowned and tapped his helmet in thought. "So it's fine to give a name to a Ghost?"

"There isn't a rule against naming your Ghost, guardian"

"Oh okay…" mumbled Riley as he begun conjuring up several names in his mind. As the silence lapsed on, SERP became curious to what Riley was thinking about and inquired if he was coming up with a suitable name for his own Ghost. Riley nodded but muttered that all names he had seemed to call out sounded more like pet names. The usual Lucky, sparky and Shadow types of names came to mind. SERP laughed, finding it interesting.

As he became increasing irritated that he was unable to produce an appropriate name, SERP patted his shoulders and decided to distract the guardian.

"You Ghost's name will eventually come to you" he assured with a slight squeeze, "but we have other things to do guardian. Come, we are near."

Riley nodded his head and quickened his pace as SERP gained momentum towards the large structure of an aging building. The pair paused, taking in the deserted complex with a critical eye before advancing on. They stopped at a small building in front of the station where SERP was quick to huddle against one side of the building. He urged Riley into the room where four large cylinders of glowing fluids were nestled against the wall.

"Helium, guardian. We'll need to collect a dozen of them for the vanguards" said SERP as he picked up a few of them and allowed Digits to decompose them into his inventory. Once they were done, SERP had ordered Riley to search about the Moonbase for more. Riley didn't go far as he searched about. By the time he had picked up his tenth tin of helium, the sounds of gunfire echoed noisily in the air. Riley's head snapped up before a loud scream followed. The scream however sounded too human to be the Fallen or Hive.

"Gunfire?" his Ghost said whilst materialising in front of him and eyeing the direction it had come from. "Perhaps some guardians?"

"They might be in trouble" Riley said quickly as he rushed to meet up with SERP who was talking with Digits. When they re-joined the two, SERP had decided to investigate the disturbance with caution. Riley didn't need to be told twice as he nodded his head and quickly followed his mentor. The sound of the gunfire was coming from beyond the Moonbase to an area he had been told not to tread pass. As they neared the area, another scream echoed which prompted the pair to quicken their pace. A final gunshot followed soon after as the pair emerged from around the corner into the open space of the moon with guns ready.

Before them were the remnants of an intense fight. Bullet casings and two rifles were scattered about, mixed with blood and broken fragments of destroyed Ghost shells. A guardian, clenching their bloodied stomach in pain was resting against a large boulder by two corpses. Possibly his fallen comrades.

SERP and Riley raced over to the guardian which appeared to be a hunter. The hunter gasped in pain, clenching his bloodied stomach as he gripped his free hand into a fist at his side.

"What happened here?" SERP inquired as he beckoned Riley close.

The hunter bent over, hunching in pain as he released an agonizing growl. "A..a guardian attack us. We were ambushed and they killed my teammates before…"

Riley's eyes widened and he stared at SERP who didn't seem deterred by this. Was he expecting this from the beginning? Now that Riley took a clear look around, there were no bodies of the Fallen or Hive about.

"They took my Ghost…" the guardian hissed as he raised a finger to point towards a distant dome like structure beyond two large hills. "That way, they went…"

SERP nodded his head and stood, drawing his gun. "Riley, tend to the guardian's wounds. I'll go retrieve his Ghost. Don't move until I come back!"

Riley made a noise to protest but eventually gave in, nodding his head worriedly at the wounded guardian. "Be careful"

SERP nodded and took off. Riley didn't watch him dash out of sight as he ordered for his Ghost to retrieve the first-aid kit SERP had given them before their departure from the Tower. Riley had hoped SERP would be okay on his own but realised that his mentor had far more experience then he would obtain. But for a guardian to attack another and steal their own Ghost? SERP had warned him that if anything should have happened to a guardian's Ghost, they were at a risk of never awakening again. Their Ghost was like a lifeline. The only thing keeping them alive. If they were destroyed….

Riley couldn't help but shiver at the thought. He decided, once he patched this hunter's wounds, he'd go join SERP as well. As he pulled out some rolls of bandages and disinfectant, he heard his Ghost cry out.

"Riley!"

Riley turned; glancing behind his shouldered but was unable to spot his Ghost until a force collided harshly against him. He was sent reeling backwards with a gasp as a heavy boot slammed down on his chest. Choking at the force for a moment, Riley felt his eyes spin before he locked them to the barrel of a handcannon. The weapon was sleek black and jiggered as if a sharp knife had been chipping at it. Strange green fumes was emanating from the cracks within the gun—almost as if souls were attempting to escape from the confinements of the menacing weapon.

It struck fear in Riley and he couldn't help but tremble.

"W-wha…?" Riley was unable to speak as he stared at the barrel, fear slinking up his arms and sending goose-bumps along his body.

"What a fool" came a cold voice.

Riley glanced up at his attacker finally noticing that it was the same hunter who was gasping for air seconds ago. The hunter however didn't seem at all injured. There wasn't even a wound of sorts on the hunter. It seemed like the hunter had just simply splashed some blood on him and faked the wound. Riley felt stupid and cursed his luck as the hunter pressed the gun to his helmet. The barrel resting on his forehead, almost taunting him.

"Hasn't anyone taught you to not trust strangers?" inquired the Hunter with a tone of mockery.

"Why?" Riley fumbled, clenching his hands into a fist at his side. Were his words all a lie? Was the hunter the real culprit and had simply faked the attack in order to separate Riley from SERP to take them out separately?

The hunter laughed wickedly, almost pleased with his plan. "Sorry kid, you're not in any position to question my job"

"Wait—"

But that didn't stop the hunter as he pulled the trigger.

* * *

"_Have you've ever been to the Moon before?" Riley asked as he took a long sip of his hot coffee. At his side, taking a long gulp of their own coffee was his older brother Zachery. The pair had taken some time to break away from camp to feast their eyes on the scenery of a cold but the enlightening Venus night._

"_For a month before my transfer got processed" chuckled Zachery as he set his mug down. He inhaled the new season's chilling air and shivered slightly. Riley stared long and hard at his brother, trying to picture the older man on the moon, jumping and defying gravity at will. He couldn't help but crack a smile which didn't go unnoticed. "What?"_

_Riley was unable to contain his laugh and shook his head, trying to calm himself. "No, I just…it's not easy seeing you in a suit and all—you know, in the air floating with a gun"_

_Zachery smirked wickedly, a burning light igniting in his eyes which Riley liked much about him. If there was anything Riley was fond off, it was that his eyes expressed much of his emotions more than words could._

"_Did some idiot tell you something like that, because that is a load of bullshit" sneered his brother as he shook his head. Riley leaned in closer and cocked his head to one side._

"_Then what is the Moon like?"_

_There was a moment of silence as his older brother tore his eyes away from him and begun surveying his surroundings. The vast view of lush forest treetops and a long river separating two pieces of lands expanded out in front of them. A mountain settled in the background, restricting them access from beyond its walls. The sky was a mysterious turquoise with flickering stars painting its canvas._

_Venus' beauty never seemed to get old._

"_It's different from here" Zachery started with a frown. "A dark, cold and empty place. You could say it's gloomy and all uptight and the people…"_

"_What?"_

_His brother shook his head and climbed to a stand, dusting off his pants. "Let's just say they're not like the people here on Venus." He laughed whilst stretching his arms and legs. With a confident nod, he declared they head back to camp before the others get worried they had run off somewhere and gotten themselves killed. Riley laughed and joked that the only person to be doing that was Zachery himself. His older brother rolled his eyes and threatened to throw him into a river one day should they drive pass one._

"_Riley, look" Zachery said as his younger brother climbed to a stand as well. The young man glanced up at where his older brother was pointing and managed to spot several larger stars twinkling in the sky high above._

"_What is it?" Riley inquired confused at what he was seeing. It seemed like any other bunch of normal stars clustered together._

_Zachery smiled and patted his younger brother's shoulder. "Orion, a constellation a very long time ago. I thought it was only seen on Earth thousands of years ago."_

"_Ori-what? Years ago? You still read those old books?"_

_Zachery laughed and shook his head at his younger brother. "It's good to read up on our history now and then, kiddo"_

"_You sound like an old man" grumbled Riley with a glare. A playful punch was thrown at Riley's shoulder before his older brother turned on his heels. He glanced over his shoulders at a glaring Riley and smirked widely._

"_This is why my brother, Venus is better than the Moon" Zachery chuckled before making his way back to camp. Riley waited for a moment, casting his eyes back to the skies and its hypnotic colours. Though he was confused at what good a bunch of old constellation meant to anyone nowadays, he couldn't help but feel that such a sight was rare and if anything special to them. A wash of emotions entered his heart and he was unable to comprehend what they were. Was it peace or content? _

_Whichever it was, Riley felt that here, on Venus, right now was the best place to be._

"Riley!"

Hazel eyes shot open and Riley found himself gasping for air immediately. The young guardian launched up from his position and was immediately was hit with a wave of pain. He crumbled back down to the ground, gasping for air and his eyes wet with tears as he tried to calm his racing heart. There was a moment of pain that had erupted in his chest and throat before they soon disappeared away, leaving him in a fit of discomfort.

He tried to swallow but found it difficult as a pair of strong hands gripped his shoulders firmly.

"Easy there, breath kid" SERP's voice had snapped Riley back into reality. Taking in his advice, Riley took a moment to ease his racing heart and mind. When he was able to hold himself up, he watched as SERP beckoned his Ghost Digits over.

"Digits, prepare my ship. We're returning to the Tower" Digits made a sound to confirm the request and disappeared. His mentor then turned back to his apprentice and surveyed his condition. Riley's heart had simmered down but his mind was still racing at the aspect of recent events. A couple of seconds had passed before Riley had climbed to a shaky stand and glanced around.

"What..where is the hunter?" he inquired, his voice raspy which startled him. SERP blinked slowly before crossing his arms over his chest.

SERP shook his head, "what happened?"

The guardian took a moment to recall the events after his mentor had left him with the hunter. He remembered getting the first aid kit ready and then his Ghost screamed. A gun was shoved to his head and then—

"He shot me" Riley cried, eyes wide with realization. "And I—I was meant to die?"

SERP nodded his head, "you were shot in the throat"

"Because I moved, I wanted to get away…"

"As a result, you were shot again in the heart this time. You died, Riley"

Riley felt sick. He died. How was it possible to even die and wake up again? A moment later, his Ghost appeared at his side, nudging his shoulders with one of its pointed ends.

"I resurrected you" it said.

Recognition formed in Riley's mind and he quickly recalled that so long as his Ghost still lived and was functional, he was able to return back to the living. It felt like such a cheap tactic, almost cheating death. But the pain of dying felt so real that maybe it was justified. He was unable to understand how such a feat was possible. With a deep exhale, Riley darted his eyes to the spot where he had died. A pool of blood had formed and he subconsciously touched his neck which was soaked in blood and a hole torn through his clothes. He swallowed thickly, feeling dizzy at the thought of recalling how he had died.

He would have gone instantly had he not have moved. Instead the hunter's bullet had pierced his throat and left him crumbled against the dirt—struggling for air. He recalled scratching at the ground and attempting to crawl away before getting shot in the back. Before he had been swallowed up by the darkness, he heard his Ghost calling him.

"What happened to the hunter…?" Riley questioned as he was unable to locate his attacker.

SERP sighed and explained that he had returned in time to stop the hunter from taking his own Ghost whom was in the process of reviving him. The hunter was too fast and escaped but thankfully, empty handed. Riley grimaced at the thought of his Ghost getting snatched away and destroyed or taken apart by the hunter if things had turned out differently.

"You were lucky" SERP said with a tone of concern lacing his voice. "A moment later and your Ghost would have been gone"

"I'd fight then allow myself to get captured" Riley's Ghost informed with a glare of his eyes.

SERP chuckled and shook his head, "of course. Like any Ghost would do"

Riley nodded his head and plucked his Ghost from the air delicately. The little Ghost shifted in his hands quizzically as Riley stared down at it. Thankful that such a brilliant companion was covering his back when things got thick, Riley smiled.

"Orion."

"Pardon?" His Ghost responded.

Riley grinned widely, "your name. It's Orion."

* * *

When Akvar took control of his army of Vex, he had no idea he would form such an appreciation for the breed of Vex known as the Harpies. They were massive single eyed metal creatures with a one track mind and were commonly thought as 'weak' and 'easy' to most guardians. There was a point that he too had thought like that after cutting down hundreds of them for the Traveller. But here now, leaning against the base of a looming cliff with his left hand resting against one of the metal wings of a Harpy; Akvar couldn't help but reinstate his opinion.

The Harpies he controlled were not like the normal Vex that inhabited the world of Venus. They were stronger with a devastating punch that could easily take the life of a guardian. They were known as Supplicants. Defenders of time who lived within the walls of an impregnable fortress deep within the depths of Venus. They were like suicidal bombers. Loyal entities that blindly went to hell for a greater purpose. But they were only a small sum of Vex types he wielded.

Humming an inaudible tune to himself, Sigma appeared a moment later and stretched its small wings. "Readings ahead, we're in for an encounter"

Akvar pushed off from the cliff and snapped his fingers, signalling for the Supplicant to move into position. It shook itself like a wet dog before speeding off to where several other Vex were stationed in the middle of the road. Akvar nodded to Sigma who had retreated into his armour and followed after the Vex at a slowed pace. Not long after the Vex had disappeared over a small hill, gunfire was heard.

"He's engaging them" Sigma said.

Akvar smirked and quickened his pace. He arrived to a scene of a lone hunter, fending off a small wave of Vex. Three goblins advanced on the hunter who quickly fired two rounds from his handcannon and shoved a hunting knife into another. When they were cleared, the supplicant advanced on the hunter, screeching. Akvar watched as the hunter twisted out of the way from the charging Vex as it colliding with the rocky walls surrounding them. The hunter was almost thrown off his feet as the supplicant exploded on impact, dirt and rock spewing everywhere. Akvar laughed. He was thoroughly amused as the hunter scrambled away from the debris and the small crater the Vex had created.

Finally taking note of Akvar, the hunter aimed his handcannon in his direction. Akvar smiled at the hunter's nerviness and bowed as if greeting a king.

"Good day to you, guardian" Akvar said earning a slight flinch from the hunter. The hunter said nothing in response and Akvar couldn't blame him. Fighting a sudden ambush of Vex unit in the middle of the Moon? That was unheard of. "Apologies for the rude intrusion. I wanted to test your capabilities."

"What do you want?" growled the hunter, his finger resting threateningly on the trigger.

Akvar's smirk grew wickedly. If he had his helmet off, he knew the hunter would have thought he was crazy. He wanted to laugh but suppressed it and flicked his wrist out, summoning Sigma to his side again. The small Ghost hovered above his palm for a moment before its eyes crackled to life and a small mist of smoke enveloped the space behind them. There was a light thump and more Vex poured out from Akvar, twitching to life and clicking their guns at the ready.

The hunter stumbled back; alarmed that a few Vex had joined their party. He said nothing for a long while which only made Akvar believe he was in shock. This only made the warlock giddy as he tapped his helmet in anticipating for what was to come next.

"Dredgen Yor, I want to make an offer with you"

* * *

**Grimkid98 - **This is all very true and as such, the only way to find out is to ask the person directly. Haha.

**The PIZZ4 GUY -** Thanks a lot! Yes it is set before the game however the timeline may change a little depending how this story goes! I'll be sure to ask you if I need help, thanks.

**The Sad Reaper -** Haha yes, that's kind of what I was going for. I'm glad you like it.


	6. V - Rebirth

**A/N: Before I begin, I'd like to explain that Light OCs will appear next chapter but, only 3 guardians that I have picked are revealed. The others (that I plan to put in which is 2-3 others OCs) will come at a later date, as soon as I figure out a few things. The Dark Ocs will come later as well so hang in there! There's still a lot of planning to be done so please bear with me!**

**Also, hooray for made up languages!**

**Enjoy guys!**

* * *

_**Circle of War**  
__"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"  
_

**CHAPTER FIVE - _Rebirth_**

The Hive was like a plague you could not get rid of. They were tough and came in large numbers. Often beaten back but never ending like waves that crash against shorelines. At every turn, they were there, scratching, screeching and watching with great disdain for the Light. They were monsters, filled with hate and anger and would kill in a blink of an eye. Enemies of humanity, creatures of the Darkness. Guardians were charged with only one command—kill on sight. Very much like what the Hive would have done to unsuspecting guardians.

But today was different. Akvar descended into the depths of the Hellmouth with little worry of drawing his weapon. He watched as Thralls and Alcolytes reared their heads up and observe him with great animosity. Some even dared to hiss and scream at him but many had not taken the challenge to attack. Even as he passed by two tall and dangerous Knights without a care, Akvar felt no fear for the Hive. The knights simply watched him walk by, their eyes revealing the desire to snuff out his Light.

Akvar chuckled at this, shaking his head at the thought. Light? What Light was left in him since the day he turned on the Traveller?

Ahead of him, Dredgen Yor had paused to glance over his shoulders. Even with his slick black helmet on, Akvar could feel the glare of his eyes trained on him. When no words were exchanged, the hunter pressed on and the warlock followed behind without protest. It had only been a little over two hours since their little meeting and here he was, on the Moon, ready to meet Dredgen's little 'friends' he had offered to introduce him to.

It had been a long while since Akvar had returned to the Moon and seeing the Hive's inner buildings and shrines was a first for him. He recalled a few years ago he had been selected for a siege against one of the Hive's bases but had been unable to participate due to sudden circumstances involving vital date of the Hive's infrastructures and blueprints being stolen. Now that he thought about it, the case was never resolved and only one guardian he knew presently was likely to have stolen the data. He smirked, eyeing the back of Dredgen who moved with ease through the tunnels of the Hive. Was he ordered to retrieve the data?

If so, there was more to Dredgen that Akvar found fascinating.

The pair advanced deeper into the complex without much trouble. Once or twice they had to stop as a Knight would step in their way and stare critically at them before moving on. Akvar wondered if their presences in the Hive's colony were wanted. Then again, both had been former guardians of Light. So naturally there was bound to be those Hives that still oppose the changes of having ex-guardians around. A moment later they entered a large room with a single large urn in the middle. A green and black smoky fluid bubbled away in the urn and a moment later, a Wizard appeared overhead. Her long robes draping behind her as she soared above them to an area cut into the wall. She came back a moment later with a glowing green crystal enveloped in a black mist. The Wizard dropped the orb into the urn and it hissed. A cloud of green smoke evaporated into the air in front of the Wizard.

"Xyor" Dredgen called as the Wizard levitated above the urn and inspected the results of her mixture. She hissed for a moment before turning her eyes away from the urn and to the approaching hunter. When he was close enough, she hovered down to meet him.

_1* "Meh sa desa, Dredgen?"_

_2* "Ahkih'oi meh lsa'eia drh kiidr thuu, ei L'hodrrahwa drei Vex"_

Dredgen glanced back at Akvar who was watching them in silence. The Wizard and Dredgen had spoken in a tongue that fell deaf on the warlock's ears. A moment later, Sigma appeared, curiously blinking its eye and offered to attempt a rough translation for the warlock.

"Yes, and do so quickly" murmured the warlock without taking his eyes off the pair ahead of him.

Just as Sigma had disappeared away into his armour, he was finally approached by the Wizard and hunter. She seemed calm and collected as she floated just centimetres from the ground.

"You summon I?" she spoke in broken English.

Akvar smirked from under the helmet and nodded his head, pleased the Wizard was acknowledgeable in their tongue somewhat. Presumably thanks to Dredgen's intervention. However, was she able to understand all he said or did he have to resort to broken English as well? Before he could question her level of education, Dredgen had assured him.

"Xyor will understand anything you say however she cannot relay her answers as fluently as she wants."

"Ah, very well" the warlock said as he straightened his posture. "I'll get straight to the point. I would like to make a proposition for you and the Hive. Convey my message to your leader when you see fit but hear me out now."

"Speak" Xyor said a little impatiently.

Akvar ignored this but continued, "I want to destroy the Traveller and to do so I'll need your power"

"What makes you so sure you can achieve such a feat?" Dredgen interjected as he folded his arms over his chest. Akvar nodded his head, pleased he had asked.

"Because I command an army of Vex" he replied and watched as Sigma had summoned a small group of Vex behind him to assure them of his power. Three Hobgoblins and a Harpy dropped into the room, twitching to life and raising their guns. Xyor reeled backwards as Dredgen reached for his guns but Akvar assured them both that the Vex would not attack. He smirked, taking in the sight of the pair ready to retaliate should he attack. "There's more"

"What …more?" Xyor growled.

"I know the _truth_" he replied which confused Dredgen. Akvar laughed at this and shook his head, snapping his fingers as Sigma produced some holographic images of the Black Garden. It was like a slide show and Sigma had complete control over what they were seeing. The pair studied the very detailed images of the Black Garden and the entity that the Vex were religiously praying at. "I'm sure you'd remember, Xyor. The real reason for the Darkness and the Traveller."

Xyor and Dredgen were silent for a long moment before they both exchanged looks between one another.

_3* "M'ehadr jhia ei kihao drei _Truth_?" _Dredgen asked Xyor.

The Wizard took a moment to ponder Akvar's words before assuring Dredgen that everything would be fine.

_4* "Dresa mslala m'hrac so bhan'huura, Dredgen"_

"You have …your army" she said but then reached out and gripped Akvar by the shoulder. The Vex behind him almost jumped into action until Akvar held up his hand to stop them. Sigma narrowed its lenses at Xyor but did nothing, forcing the Vex to stop and ease away.

"There's a condition however" Dredgen cut in.

"I'm all ears" Akvar replied, noting the slender long arms of the wizard were also completed with hard bones and a thin layer of meat. Her grip was hard, almost threatening and he realised the sudden impulsive grab was a means to show him that they would not submit as dogs to the Vex but merely cooperate for ideal goals. He smiled, nodding his head as Dredgen returned the nod.

"Your remaining Light will need to be taken and turned" he said.

The warlock was curious as to what he meant until Xyor's hand shot out and gripped his helmet. Akvar was startled and attempted to peel her hand off his helmet as her palm had covered most of his vision. However it was futile as he felt magic released from her to every inch of his body. He froze, his mind registering the foreign magic tickling his skin. She had stunned him somehow. Another flare of green mystic light escaped her body. Then the pain came and Akvar felt her bony fingers tighten on his helmet. Akvar screamed as if he was burning alive and hot flames were licking his skin. Sigma attempted to intervene but Dredgen had reached out and grabbed the Ghost from the air. He held it close, too tightly as it wiggled about—attempting to break free. The Vex tried to attack as well but were swallowed by a sudden mist of black spells and then Dredgen had fired at them, killing them all with ease.

Xyor's grip increased on his helmet so hard that he felt it crack. Panic rose in his chest as he saw her nails punctured into his helmet, destroying it. Free from his helmet, Xyor gripped his face tightly, only allowing him to see through one eye as her nails dug into his flesh. He screamed as something alien had slipped inside his body and the feeling of pain and burning coursed through him. His mind ran blank and he felt his conscious was on the verge of slipping into oblivion had he not heard his Ghost cry his name.

He was unable to fight back as another wave of pain erupted in him. This time it felt like all of his bones were snapping out of place and escaping his body. The pain felt so horrible that his body had shut down on him, his limbs turning to jelly and lifeless. The only thing keeping him awake was the stinging pain and the glowing orange eyes of Xyor.

She said something which he was unable to comprehend before another burst of green light blinded him and he had to close his eyes. Then he felt he had lost himself and his conscious was gone.

He dropped into darkness and was unable to feel, hear, see or register anything but the darkness.

* * *

Dredgen watched as a chilling darkness engulfed the room from Xyor's spell. The walls twisted and bended to her needs and the lime green crystals flickered on and off as if the light from them had been drained. A feeling of nostalgic welled in the pits of his stomach and he wondered briefly if this was what had happened to him the first time. He recalled bits and pieces of the night but the feeling of immense pain and almost choking as something alien entered him was still fresh.

He cringed when another blast of darkness shot out from Xyor's hand and struck Akvar in the head. His hands instantly went slack and his eyes clouded with mixed emotions. The Ghost in Dredgen's hands struggled furiously forcing the hunter to squeeze him shut. He ignored the Ghost's cries and pleads as he watched Akvar's body crumble to the ground limp. Xyor had released him, sighing noisily before the Ghost in Dredgen's hands had stopped moving as well.

He released the Ghost, watching it drop to the ground almost lifelessly.

_5* "Sdr sa j'hoi"_ Xyor said.

Dredgen nodded his head before scooping up the immobile Ghost and inspecting it. Like on cue, the Ghost was absorbing the surrounding darkness around it. Even in its unresponsive state, it was functioning perfectly. He smirked, watching the Ghost's shell turn metallic black before cracks of lime green veins spread across its pointed surfaces. Akvar's Ghost was transforming accordingly to Akvar's state.

_6* "Dredgen, y'rasov eik drh drei rhh'la haoj khac'I auurai ei hamhaci'oa"_ Xyor instructed as she turned around to continue her previous task. Dredgen waited a moment before darting his eyes back to his friend. She said nothing and levitated back to her urn, watching the waters bubble at her touch.

"The transformation… you were meaning to control him, did you not?" questioned the hunter. "That's why you aimed for the head"

Xyor paused, a little too long in thought before glancing over her shoulders at him. She said nothing for a long while and returned back to her task. Dredgen smirked and shook his own head at her knowing very well the answer to his own question. It would have worked but the plan failed and Xyor was unable to control the warlock. Maybe his Will was too strong? Or the Vex's influences on him had overpowered Xyor's attempts? Whatever the reason, Dredgen decided not to question it as he picked the unconscious warlock off the ground. A few minutes later, the hunter was dragging the warlock through a long hallway into a smaller oval room. He set the warlock down on his back before checking his vitals.

Satisfied that the warlock's breathing was steady, Dredgen stripped his large coat off and light armour. He tossed them to one side of the room before gripping Akvar by the shoulders and hurling his limp body into the cold waters of the pool located in the centre of the room. Akvar's body sank to the bottom slowly and Dredgen took the time to rest against the furthest wall away from the pool of water.

A few seconds later, Akvar's Ghost sprung to life and slipped out of Dredgen's grip. The hunter watched as the small Ghost adjusts to its new body before narrowing its eye at him. He smirked, and tore off his own helmet as sweat cascaded down his neck. The small room was incredibly hot as if it was a sauna. He was sure Akvar's skin would be set a flame in the bubbling waters of the small pool when he woke.

"What did you do?" Sigma demanded.

Dredgen shrugged, examining his helmet casually. "What needs to be done, is all"

"Was it necessary for that…whatever it was? I felt _everything_"

"Of course you did, you're his Ghost. Not only that, you felt the Light get sucked out of him and replaced with the Darkness"

Before Sigma could reply to his remark, a head emerged from the depths of the water. Akvar's head to be precise. The warlock gasped, sucking in a lung full of air as he waved his arms about, trying to find solid ground. Sigma glared a final time at Dredgen before hurrying over to his master who had managed to collect himself before paddling over to the edge of the pool. He inhaled and exhaled loudly, his heart beating rapidly in his ribcage. As he sluggishly pulled himself out of the waters, he took a moment to just remain on the ground—lying there and breathing in silence.

"Ex—explain…" he wheezed followed by some heavy coughing.

Dredgen smirked and pushed himself off the wall, advancing on the warlock who eventually gathered enough energy to sit upright. He paused, not too close or too far within his line of sights and crossed his arms over his chest.

"An initiation and a gift" the hunter said.

Akvar glared, wiping the droplets of water from his wet hair. It was only then that Dredgen noticed the large scar running down one side of his face through his left eye. The scar was long and jagged as if a Fallen's knife had cut through it. The old injury had also changed the pigments in his injured eye as well, turning it a different shade from its original colour. One eye was green whilst the other was orangey yellow.

"A what?" Akvar replied, still struggling to breathe from the plunge into the watery depths.

Dredgen shrugged. "Because you were a former guardian, Xyor had to release the Light out of you and replace it. The procedure is painful but it was necessary. I had to go through the same experience too"

"And the water?"

"A way to traverse back so that you were not lost to the darkness and consumed by it after taking in so much dark energy" Dredgen lied. There really was no purpose to the watery tomb but simply to surprise the victim into thinking he was left for dead. Blame Xyor's bad humour.

Akvar grunted, finding it irritating. With a deep sigh, Akvar casted his eyes around the room before landing on his Ghost who was merely hovering at his side. It perked at his attention and he was suddenly confused why it was still functional and had drastically changed in appearance. Weren't Ghosts made of Light from the Traveller also?

"Your Ghost was crafted by the Traveller but because we were able to corrupt and change you, your Ghost now belongs to the darkness. It's complicated but at least we don't have to worry about running around without a Ghost to revive us" Dredgen explained as the warlock nodded his head slowly. It all made sense but at the same time not so much. With a deep sigh, Akvar nodded his head and inquired where his armour was. He was merely stripped down to his inner clothing and wanted nothing more than to get dried up and into his large trench coat again. Dredgen laughed and explained that the next room over held some new dry clothes and towels for him to get cleaned up with.

As Akvar climbed to a stand, a wave of energy entered him. He stumbled, using the wall for support before feeling a new found form of power surging through him. His eyes met Dredgen who smirked at him, nodding his head.

"Your gift from Xyor" he simply said and turned for the door.

Akvar watched him leave the room before picking himself off the wall. He glanced down at both his palms and a sudden jolt of electricity ran up his arm as if he had been zapped. A strange sensation tingled in his fingertips and he felt strangely itching to release whatever pent up energy he had right then and there. There was something different about him, he could feel it. However he also felt a strange clash of two forces within him, fighting for dominance over his mind. Was it the power of the Vex or Hive?

"New powers, huh?" Akvar smirked whilst shaking his head as he gathered himself and re-joined Dredgen outside with Sigma closely behind him.

* * *

1* "Who is this, Dredgen?"  
2* "Someone who wishes to meet you, he controls the Vex"  
3* "What does he mean the _truth_?"  
4* "This will work in our favour, Dredgen"  
5* "It is done"  
6* "Dredgen, bring him to the pool and make sure he awakens"

**The PIZZ4 GUY -** Hmm, yes this story will be one long one rather than split books/etc. Can't say much about Pahanin but he will have his part in this.

**The Sad Reaper -** Love to include Kabr but sadly he would be conflicting with the timeline I have set up. So he'll only get mentioned here and there. Sorry!

**TheXtraAccount -** Next chapter, friend!

**Grimkid98 -** Good answer!

**N8man42 -** Thanks, yeah I did get your PM, so it's all good!


	7. VI - House of Plagues

**A/N: Ever had a moment when you've written out a chapter, was ready to publish it and then was hit with some sudden inspirations that blows your chapter's progression to pieces? And forces you to scrap the entire chapter and re-write it? Yeah that's what happened to this chapter. Anyway, have a few important announcements to make now including the chosen OCs!**

**For the Light OCs, they will be split into two groups. The Primary Team and Secondary Team. Those in Primary are the main team that runs with Riley for his adventures. Those in the Secondary will later form the last members of his five/six man team and won't be expected to appear until later in the chapters to come.**

Primary Team:**  
****Lux - (Qwertyunion)  
****Evan"Wolf"****Walker - (The PIZZ4 GUY)**

Secondary Team:  
**Khallis Zeranth - (Countess of Monleigh)**  
**Ginevra "Gigi" Gil - (The PIZZ4 GUY)**

**Now for Dark OCs, which I prefer to keep small as it's easier to manage.**

**Hayden - (Bladed Raptor)  
Tetra &amp; Adelia Klemnor - (Grufatta)**

**Tho****se that have not be chosen, I am deeply sorry. Rest assured that majority of the OCs sent to me were great and I would have loved to use them but were conflicting with my timeline/story and felt it would be hard to integrate them in.**

**In other news, I find it funny that you guys say I update this story on a Sunday when its actually Monday for me. Funny how different timezones work, huh? Also further chapters will be delayed due to House of Wolves dropping tomorrow night for me and that I finally got my first Gjallarhorn! So I'll be levelling up that beauty in between working through the DLC.**

**Apologies in advance and hope you enjoy this chapter as always!**

* * *

_**Circle of War**  
__"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"  
_

**CHAPTER SIX - _House of Plagues_**

_**Three months later.**_

Riley and SERP had been summoned by the Vanguards once again as soon as they returned from their three day trip to Mars. Restless and concerned that something terrible had come up, the pair was quick to arrive at the Vanguard's quarters. In their same spots, the three vanguards were conversing amongst each other surrounding the large table in the centre of the room. However another guardian was among them, listening to their chatter eagerly.

As SERP and Riley drew near, Commander Zavala was the first to acknowledge them with a firm nod.

"Ah, SERP-27 and Mr. Kempfr!" said Cayde-6 who turned to face them with open arms. "Just in time, come closer. We have much to tell you"

The pair exchanged looks before etching closer, spotting Cayde's large and aging map laid in front of them. There were several smaller sheets scattered around the table before Ikora cut in and drew their attention away from the table.

"Guardians, I want you to meet someone" she said waving a hand to the other guardian in the room. Riley followed Ikora's gesture to a female hunter at her side. Strawberry blonde hair fastened into two pigtails bounced off the female's shoulders as she brushed her long bangs away from her eyes. She offered him a warm smile which made his heart tighten strangely. He didn't even realise he had been holding in his breath until SERP patted his shoulders, snapping him out of his daze.

"You okay?"

Riley fumbled over a nod, forcing his eyes away from the female guardian as she smirked at him.

"This is Lux, she's been an operative for Cayde's scouting unit for a little over a year now so she'll be able to help you" Ikora explained before pointing to both Riley and SERP in turn. "Lux, this is SERP-27 and his apprentice, Riley Kempfr."

Lux greeted the pair with a simple hello as they quickly returned a greeting of their own. With introductions over, Ikora moved the subject on with a wave of her hands. "Your next mission is of importance, guardians. So listen up. Now, if you will Cayde?"

The Exo Vanguard nodded his head and gestured for the trio to move closer to his map on the table. When they were close enough to see, Riley noted that the map was of an overhead view of some large country. There were detailed drawings of roads, lakes, mountains and forests surrounding another detailed drawing of a cluster of buildings that looked like a city or town.

Cayde tapped his finger to the city, "this is the remains of Rome, Italy. If you will, there's been some large Fallen activity spotted around here"

"Rome? Didn't that continent collide with its neighbours?" SERP inquired with a fold of his arms.

Cayde nodded his head, "very well informed. Yes, before the Golden Age, most of the Earth's tectonic plates had shifted and changed land formation. Italy merged against France's borders but enough of that. What is important is here."

The vanguard pulled the map away and tucked it neatly to one side before carefully pulling another map from his pile and rolling it out on the table for all to see. This map was even more detailed which appeared to be a general improved enlargement of Rome's walls.

"The Flavian Amphitheatre or in other words, The Colosseum."

"The colo—what?" Riley inquired, not sure what the Vanguard was referring to.

"It's a famed monument built in Rome during the 70-80AD period under the Emperor Vespasian" Lux clarified for Riley, who flinched at her voice. She smiled at him and he sheepishly returned one of his own. Nodding, she directed her eyes to Cayde who clapped his hands together quickly.

"You are indeed well-versed here, guardians. Now, Rome has been heavily populated by the Fallen. To be precise, the House of Plagues and as such, seems to be protecting something important according to my scouts."

"House of Plagues? I didn't know such a house existed" SERP said.

Ikora smiled at him and crossed her arms over chest, "there is little known about these Fallen as their numbers have dwindled since the Battle of Twilight Gap."

Commander Zavala seemed to stiffen at the warlock's words as he coughed into his fist. All eyes were on him as he frowned deeply but when he said nothing, Ikora continued on with her explanation to save him having to recall unpleasant memories.

"From our sources, the House of Plagues were the first to breech our walls. We suspected that they specialised in stealth operations including infiltrations and were said to be masters of the blade."

"Then they are a danger to humanity" SERP interpreted and the vanguards all nodded in unison.

"We want you three to infiltrate the area and investigate what it is they are guarding within and report back to us" Commander Zavala said from his spot. All eyes were on him and he determinedly met them with a fierce glare of his own. "Do not fail us. Get in, find what you can and get out ASAP."

SERP nodded his head, "of course"

Riley and Lux merely exchanged looks before nodding as well. Cayde whistled, content with their reply before asking SERP to summon his own Ghost so that he could download a digital copy of the map for them to use. The Vanguards gave them their encouragement before allowing them to leave in preparation. SERP directed the group out into the open air of the Tower before stopping them in their tracks. He decided that they should prepare for the trip, telling them to pack carefully in the likelihood that they would spend more than a couple of days there. Lux couldn't agree more and even allocated a set time she would be ready to meet them. An hour was the timeframe which SERP decided suited them perfectly fine. They were to meet in the hanger after that with their ships ready.

Going their separate ways, Riley returned to his room to ready up. He took a moment to survey his room, finding that the small room was lacking in décor but still seemed to offer him comfort from the devastation beyond its walls. He sighed, summoning Orion to help him in his packing.

* * *

Riley disembarked from his Jumpship and almost fell on all fours due to his abrupt landing. He managed to catch himself however and sighed deeply before glaring up at the sky where his Jumpship had been only seconds ago.

"Are you still angry?" he grumbled to which his Ghost Orion answered with an inaudible noise that sounded very much like someone grunting. Riley sighed deeply and shook his head. As of recently, his Ghost had been in a foul mood with the guardian. And though he had every right to be, Riley couldn't help that he had apologised to the small machine plenty of times. It wasn't his fault that Riley had panicked and used the small Ghost as a decoy—tossing him at a dreg's face when he had run out of ammo for his rifle.

He panicked, so what else was he supposed to do? Not to mention that those first few weeks, he had just started finalizing what class he would follow. At first SERP wanted Riley to walk the road of the Hunters with their sharp shooting but the guardian wanted something else. Sitting back and picking targets off from a distant whilst others risked their lives on the front lines didn't sit well with him. Riley wanted to be a titan that measured up to SERP's standards. He wanted to fight and be that hero that defended his teammates. He'd be that person to risk it all for their safety regardless of the pain. Because in truth, Riley didn't want to lose anyone anymore.

"Right, well…as long as you don't drop me in the middle of some enemies…" he muttered to which his Ghost narrowed its eyes at him. He paled and gave his Ghost a look. "You're seriously not thinking of…hey now Orion, I apologised!"

When his Ghost said nothing again Riley sighed as both SERP and Lux appeared in his line of sights. They had just landed as well and were making their way to him. Riley decided to put the topic off for another time and waved to his companions before joining up with them.

"Good, it doesn't look like we've been spotted yet" SERP said as the others nodded their heads after surveying their surroundings. The group had landed in a park thickly covered with overgrown trees which reached high up into the skies. Mammoth trees that have grown incredibly due to the pockets of radiation pools surrounding the area. Riley swallowed thickly and wondered what the city was like beyond the walls of trees.

"Lux, do you know the area?"

The female hunter nodded her head and summoned her Ghost named Algonquin or Gonk for short. "Gonk, bring up the map of the area please" she commanded and the small Ghost whistled with joy before pulling a holographic map of the area. The map was detailed with scales of the park's large trees and highlighted points of interest. A moment later, a yellow line appeared marking the previous route she had taken to reach a vantage point she used to scout the Colosseum. She pointed and SERP rubbed his chin in thought, a gestured that Riley found funny coming from an EXO.

"This is good, Lux. You'll lead the way however we'll need to improvise a way to get inside the Colosseum" mused SERP as he dragged the holographic map with his finger around. He paused for a moment before pointing to one side of the building. "Is the map up to date, Lux?"

The hunter nodded, "The last time I've been here was a week ago. Gonk was able to fly undetected around the area to map it"

"Good, then this tree here" he pointed to a large tree that had grown into the Colosseum's side. Though the base of it was surrounded by a large lake of radioactive chemicals dropped from explosives and the likes during the Collapse and the war in general, it seemed the less likely protected area. "Sometimes we have to do things the hard way"

Riley frowned in worry. Were their suits built to withstand radioactive chemicals?

"We'll see how this goes then" SERP decided and nodded for Lux to take charge. The female hunter agreed as well and readied herself up. She quickly checked over her weapons and made sure Gonk was safely tucked away before running a critical eye on the others. Firm nods of their heads signalled their eagerness to get a move on so she pressed on; following the route she had taken from heart into the thick of the trees. Eventually the park had ended and the landscaped was nothing more than collapsed buildings and rusting old shops. Long abandoned by the human race, a large road appeared before them littered with overturned cars and rubbish. Withered moss covered buildings were left to rot as grass and trees sprouted from the cracks from within the ground. It seemed like something out of a book.

A city destroyed beyond recognition. Riley wondered if somewhere back home, it was in the same shape as well.

The group manoeuvred around a large tall building that had fallen and blocked off the main road. Under it were the remains of cars with twisted metal clinging to old bones and the forgotten remains of those unfortunate to be crushed by it. They moved through an old tavern with a collapsing second level. Breaking through to the back door, Lux steered the group through an overgrown courtyard. She paused for a moment before ushering the group back into the darkness of the underpass.

Her finger was to her mouth, signalling them to remain still as footsteps stormed their way. A dreg appeared a moment later wearing the black and gold banner of the Plagues and was in a rush with its guns raised. Riley held his breath as he watched the dreg pass them, its eyes concentrated on something else. The dreg was quickly followed by another two dregs before they disappeared around the corner into an apartment complex. Lux waited a minute or two, listening to the surrounding sounds before easing up and stepping out into the sunlight.

"Was that a patrol unit?"

"No" she said shaking her head and checking her map with Gonk. "I've noted the general pattern of some of the Fallen patrols but something has changed."

"Something of interest? Should we investigate?" Riley asked, casting his eyes to SERP who responded with a shake of his head.

"We have a mission. So long as they're distracted, it'll make it easier on our part. Lux, please lead."

The female hunter nodded her head and they resumed their march. About an hour of sneaking by Fallen and crawling through tight spaces to access half collapsed buildings, the team arrived at their destination.

On the roof of a large hotel building that stood directly opposite of the colosseum, Riley marvelled at the sights. There was a metal wall surrounding the massive structure with more than hundreds of Fallen within. Some were carrying loads of metal pieces, others were boxes of equipment and a few merely stood about around a fire. There were over a dozen tents hastily thrown together as well as a couple of Fallen Walkers stationed about, unmanned. There were so many types of Fallen that Riley had trouble counting the number of Captains, Servitors and shanks that roamed about.

"What is this?" SERP inquired a little too concern about the mass amount of Fallen gathered. As his eyes watched the sea of enemies move about in their daily lives, his eyes soon connected to another set of large doors. This one was built into the colosseum's side and was guarded heavily by patrol units as small dregs carrying equipment pressed through.

Lux frowned, leaning against the wall in thought, "I tried to get Gonk to see from above but they've roofed the entire structure off from eyes. I thought it was just some normal camp set up but…"

"A training facility?" Riley said, "No, some sort of production place?"

SERP cocked his head to one side, "like a manufacturing factory?"

"Seems that way."

Lux even nodded her head and pointed to a number of things in the distance. "I've been watching the area for a long time. There are always dregs coming and going and sometimes, those Fallen Walkers are moved in and out of the colosseum."

"Interesting but we'll need more than speculations" SERP said as he tightened his hold on his gun. "Let's get closer, shall we?"

The pair nodded their heads and quickly spent a few minutes formulating a plan to infiltrate the facility. The hotel they were stationed on was nearest to the large tree so they need not walk too far but it was just the simple task of getting by the Fallen unnoticed that proved to be tricky. Lux offered to scout ahead and find a reasonable route to take that was easier on the pair of titans. SERP merely nodded his head and warned her to be careful as he watched her dash off. After a moment, SERP turned back to the map Digits had downloaded from Gonk, inspecting the layout with interest.

Riley spent some minutes trying to follow Lux's movement with his sniper rifle but had eventually lost her after she had disappeared into a small shop on the corner. Ten minutes passed before Lux returned and declared she had made progress. The pair nodded their heads and followed her, making sure to pay attention to their surroundings and her commands of when to run, hide or sneak by enemy lines.

Everything was going smoothly until the group stopped to a loud banging in the distance. It sounded robotic and sent small tremors their way with each nosy clank. Lux frowned and it was SERP who decided to take shelter when the noise grew louder. They slipped into the darkness of an underground car park, huddled together as SERP attempted to peek out. After a while of listening to the booming sounds, Lux declared that the banging sounded very much like a Fallen Walker storming their way. SERP eventually nodded his head, agreeing to the sound and listened as the Walker's steps increased. It was getting closer.

Eventually its steps were so loud that it seemed like it as only minutes away from reaching their position.

"Is there another route we could take?" Riley whispered to Lux who frowned and summoned the map up again. She paused, searching for a possible way but ultimately shook her head.

"Most of the surrounding buildings are inaccessible due to the extensive damage during the war" Lux replied and froze as she heard the shrieks and howls of the Fallen. Was the Walker accompanied by some Fallen as well?

Riley held in his breath, clenching his weapon tightly as the ground shook under them. They waited and waited until the Fallen Walker finally pulled to a stop. SERP wondered what had caused the Walker to stop until one of the dregs begun screaming, raising their arms high in the air. Slowly, SERP poked his head out only to see the tank reeling the large main cannon their way. He didn't even think twice as he reached out, grabbed both Lux and Riley's arm before screaming.

"Run!" he cried just as a missile erupted out of the large tank's barrel.

The parking lot was hit and explosions erupted everywhere as the trio were thrown off their feet, slamming into metal, stones and more. Riley crashed painfully into a car and quickly shielded his head with his arms as dust and debris were thrown his way. He groaned, gasping for air and forced his eyes open to the carnage left behind by the rocket. The underpass was engulfed in thick smoke and it was almost impossible to see until Orion appeared, flashing his beam of light in the darkness.

"Are you okay?" Orion said as his eye searched through the black smoke.

Riley released a deep cough before pulling himself up from the ground. He glanced about, searching the place for his companions and managed to spot a prone figure by some collapsed boulders. He ran, as fast as his legs could take him and slid to his knees, gripping the person by the shoulders.

"Lux!"

She groaned and broke away, holding her head as Riley noticed a split at one side of her helmet. "What, where?" she mumbled as Riley lifted her to her feet. Seconds passed before she pulled away from Riley and was able to comprehend what had happened to her previously. She blinked, eyes wide before she too was searching for their last remaining companion. SERP was nowhere to be seen and it worried Riley as he watched Gonk appear a moment later to help the frantic search.

Riley opened his mouth to call but was answered in a strange gurgle. He froze and the sounds of the Fallen Walker's feet echoed across the damaged underpass. Lux darted her eyes about before spotting the head of the Fallen Walker storming the underpass. It spotted them and immediately turned its large cannon their way. The pair didn't have to say anything as they sprinted off, running for their life.

Another explosion rocked the area causing the pair to tumble to the ground in a heap. They groaned before a hand appeared out of nowhere and lifted them up by the arm.

"Time to move!" boomed SERP's voice.

"SERP!"

The EXO glanced to Riley and only replied with a curt nod before the trio ran for their lives. Emerging from the smoky area, the sun never felt so good on them as they escaped the underpass via another exit. Lux took charge from then onwards, urging the pair to keep up as she ran. Behind them they could hear the Fallen Walker adjusting to its new course and the Dregs accompanying it.

"Come on!" Lux cried.

The titan pushed forward, trying to keep up with the fast hunter with all of his might. The ground shook again as they heard the stomping of the moving tank. Rome was a massive city but even in its degrading state Lux was having a hard time weaving through its walls. More than once did she have to stop and quickly retrace her steps after slamming into a dead-end. After a while, the noise died down and they were unable to hear the Fallen Walker and dregs. Riley wondered if they had lost them already but Lux wasn't convinced as she kept up the pace, scaling a slope towards a large crumbling church.

At the top, they paused a moment in order to catch their breaths before Lux skimmed through her map. She cursed and SERP sighed deeply at what she had uncovered. After escaping the car park, they had been running the wrong way and now they were miles away from the colosseum. She groaned and flicked through the map, trying to see if there was a faster route back which ultimately was able to avoid the last known location of the Fallen Walker and its friends.

Riley inhaled deeply and adjusted the strap on his scout rifle. Taking a long look at his surroundings, he could clearly see the colosseum in the distance and the car park. But where was the Fallen Walker? Had they really lost it?

"We should get a—" the EXO titan was unable to finish as Lux screamed. Something had burst out from the wall to the trio's left, sending large rocks, wood and metal their way. Riley reeled back dodging a large chunk of rock as he spotted the red head of the Fallen Walker. He opened his mouth to scream but was knocked off his feet as one of the Fallen Walker's legs slammed into his sides. Winded, Riley was sent flying into an old bench in a messy heap. He heard both SERP and Lux scream but only for a second as they were drowned out by the screeching robotic sounds of the tank.

Shielding his head again against the rain of debris, the tank perched on its legs, almost standing tall at the successful ambush it had made.

"Shoot!" Riley heard his mentor cry before he heard the titan lift his auto rifle and pelted the tank's legs. Riley managed to stumble to his feet before he delivered his own rain of bullets down. To his side he could hear Lux groan and check her helmet before finally pulling her gun free to return fire as well. Their concentrated attack against the tank managed to crack open one of its legs. The Walker dropped to the ground, screeching before its front hull exposed the glowing orange delicate engine it had been protecting.

SERP abandoned his gun for a moment, charging the downed tank and slammed the ground with a mighty force that sent arc light exploding in all directions. The ground rumbled at the impact and the Walker took the brute of the attack, flinching back a step in its weaken state. But its recovery was quick and it snapped its front hull back into place before shaking loose a dozen bouncing mines. SERP cursed as he retreated backwards, almost losing his arm to an exploding mine.

"Go!" he screamed and Riley was already dragging a bewildered Lux in his arms. He didn't get too far though because when the Walker pulled itself from the rubble of the building it had crashed through, a sparrow sped at him. Riley twisted, watching as the sparrow charged for the tank and the driver, a male hunter leaped off at the last second. Another explosion which destroyed the sparrow had ripped the shell from the tank's legs and forced the tank to capsize again to the ground.

"What?!" SERP cried as soon as another sparrow soared through the sky. A female warlock disembarked from the sparrow and quickly released her gathered purple light into the Walker's engines. The blast enveloped the area and swirled violently against the weakened engines.

She landed inches from where SERP was just as the Walker twitched about before collapsing to the ground entirely.

The glow in its eyes faded and the engines were beyond repair as the tank remained still. Smoke hissed out of its cracks. Lux scrambled out of Riley's grip and dusted herself down before advancing to SERP's side.

"Who…?" she started but was cut off by the male hunter who screamed.

"Ah! Holiday is going to kill me now!"

The female warlock chuckled and patted the hunter's shoulders but was quick to direct her attention back to the confused trio. Before she could open her mouth, the screams of the Fallen echoed in the air and the group tensed. SERP glanced behind his shoulders, spotting nothing but figured that the Dregs patrolling with the Walker had gone for reinforcements and were just yards away from discovering them.

"Introductions can wait, we'll need to find a suitable place to converse" SERP said as his fireteam nodded their heads.

"That's a plan" the female warlock replied and pointed to a cluster of buildings beyond the slope of the road. "We know of a safe place to stay, if you'd follow us."

Riley wasn't too sure if he could trust these two but judging by how dire things had gotten and how worn the trio were from the Fallen Walker, it was best to follow. SERP merely nodded his head in reply and urged his fireteam to follow. Lux said nothing as she joined him at his side as Riley quickly stumbled to catch up. The small group raced forward, stopping for nothing until finally coming to an odd looking theatre of sorts. Like many of the other buildings in Rome, this one wasn't left untouched and had walls that seemed like they would crumble at the softest touch. The entrance was beyond accessible so the group had to duck into a small opening in the side of the building covered by a palette of wood fastened with ropes and a stained grey cloth. Riley wondered if this piece of wood was made just for the purpose of hiding the small opening.

"This way" informed the hunter as he ducked inside, and watched the others slip in after him. When they were all inside, he replaced the palette of wood against the opening and checked to make sure it was secure before following his companion the female warlock. The pair said nothing and simply followed the two deeper into the theatre that could use a makeover.

Their destination was on the third floor of the complex which housed old stage props and a few rooms that used to be the actresses' and actor's personal rooms. In one of the rooms, containing a large stained glass panel of two jesters strumming their lutes, the warlock took her place against a heap of crates as the hunter shut the door behind them.

Riley glanced around quickly, taking note that the room had been rearranged into some sort of makeshift camp. There wasn't much to be impressed for but it seemed like the pair had managed to gather some items such as blanket sheets to use for bedding and an old barrel used to light a fire in.

"I think we can talk safely here" the warlock said with a content sigh.

The male hunter nodded and settled on his own side of the room, "the name's Evan Walker. That lovely gal there is my partner, Ginevra Gil"

"A pleasure to meet you, I am SERP-27 and these two are Riley Kempfr and Lux."

The pair of guardians offered a quick wave in their direction to which they returned.

"Likewise" cooled Ginevra who sat up and entwined her fingers together, resting her elbows on her knees. She stared at them perceptively which would make anyone shrink back if they had seen her eyes under her helmet. "Now tell us, what brings you to Rome?"

* * *

**N8man42 -** thanks! Sorry John didn't make it in, he was a very interesting character to read though!

**King Fang -** My apologies Freya didn't make it in. She was a very interesting character and I would have loved to use her!

**Bladed Raptor -** Yes, yes and yes. The Hive are so majestic dark creatures that they are my second favourite race of enemies out there. First being the Vex. The Wizards, the instant I laid eyes on them, I knew I'd loved them. Thank you, I will try my best!

**TheXtraAccount - **H-how dare you! My lovely reviews, I will never submit to you terrorists, never! Haha, kidding aside, as much as I love to pump out these chapters twice a week, I'm afraid the quality of the chapters will degrade. Quality over quantity, my friend.

**Your1fan -** Your name makes me blush. 'nough said. For your question, I have yet to decide anything to do with the Reef and its Queen. Maybe, who knows?

**The PIZZ4 GUY -** I always look forward to your reviews. They're always so thought provoking and straight to the point. But as much as I love to answer many (and by god you gave so much! haha) of your questions, I'm afraid I'll just be spilling the beans on how this story works. You are a mind reader! Stop, please, haha! Oh, Thorn and The Last Word will have their epic battle, just you wait. Oh god, I immediately thought of flying bacon pieces which is making me hungry now.

**GrimKid98 - **Haha, guess this means the Light guardians have to step up their game if they want to go head to head with Akvar or Dredgen Yor!

**Wildblu -** Will do, friend! Thanks!


	8. VII - A coalition

**A/N: I should have expected that a lot of my reviews had been cut down since the release of OCs I've chosen. However, I'm not deterred by this! And I want to thank you all (who continue to support me) so much with all of my heart. Your support is what keeps me going!**

**Also, House of Wolves… baby Jesus, it's so good! I mean, I haven't gotten through majority of the content but boy is it a breath of life for PVE. Now my time has been cut so short because of destiny, it's not funny. Quick question, do you think this story is progressing at a slow/good speed?**

**Anyway, enjoy as always friends!**

* * *

_**Circle of War**__  
"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"_

**CHAPTER SEVEN – **_**A Coalition**_

"The Colosseum is heavily guarded on all sides reinforced with tough metal walls and patrolled by units who change shifts nearly every hour" explained Evan as he stood up and summoned his Ghost. The small blue and orange Ghost hovered to the centre of the room before opening up a newly updated holographic map of the Colosseum.

It was a little less than an hour since they had met and the group had established their intentions when travelling to Rome. The pair of guardians, Evan and Ginevra were also apart of Cayde's scouting unit who spent weeks stationed in Rome, updating changes frequently as possible. The pair explained that occasionally they'd meet other guardians also from their department but usually they'd only remain in Rome for a few days before being pulled back to the Last City. So it was no surprise to see the trio here in Rome on their part. Lux however was not one of the lucky ones to have seen them when she was here last sparking questions to how skilled the pair was at hiding themselves in plain sight.

Regardless, SERP was glad to have someone on their side and carrying enough Intel to aid them. He thanked them once again and they assured him that it was all part of their job.

Evan scratched at his chin in thought but realised that his helmet was in the way and stopped. "SERP, your idea to access a way in via that large tree is actually pretty solid. Ginevra and I have been discussing a few days ago about using that tree also."

SERP was surprise but allowed the guardian to continue.

"We did some observations of the Fallen's patrol routes and found this…" Ginevra said and pointed to the base of the tree. "This side of the tree was left unattended for a few hours during the middle of the night."

"We assume that the Fallen have gotten sloppy" Evan murmured studying the map. "It's plenty of time to get in, do a bit of digging and get out undetected."

"Sounds like a good start" Lux said and crossed her arms over her chest. "But that's not it, is it?"

The two scouts shook their heads in unison. Evan double tapped the map to zoom into the colosseum's side where the tree was slammed against. He pointed to four locations, marking them with red dots that his Ghost had thankfully helped him with. They were spread evenly across four floors of the colosseum and in view of several large windows.

"Aside from the occasional stray Captain that is hell bent on pacing around the base of the tree, we have four snipers here to deal with. Unless you have an invisibility cloak for everyone, we're not going anywhere near that tree" he sighed.

Riley slumped back in disappointment. He had hoped the mission would have been a breeze but seeing those red dots blinking on the map had sent dread through his veins. Snipers, of all things. The group lapsed in silence, trying to figure out how to counter the Fallen's solid defences until a light bulb blinked in Riley's mind.

"Are they mobile snipers?" Riley inquired which startled the male hunter.

"Uh…" he fumbled for a moment, searching his memory bank but came short until his partner spoke up.

"The two middle snipers roam their respective floors in a span of 20 minutes on average" Ginevra explained, pointing to two red dots and turning them into a yellow colour. She traced their route and revealed to them that the two snipers usually went from one end of the hall and back down the other again.

Riley nodded his head and SERP inquired what he was thinking. Riley said nothing for a moment, glancing at everyone carefully before his gaze turned to the stained glass window in the room. One of the small panels had been lifted open to allow a soft breeze to blow in. Through that window, Riley could tell the light of the day was quickly fading. Nightfall was a mere couple of hours from now and Riley wondered how fast time had lapsed since then.

"First" Riley said, clearing his throat. "We should deal with the snipers."

Evan scoffed, "we established that already, genius."

Ginevra knocked him in the head and he glared at her as she ignored him. Quickly, she urged Riley to continue which he took a moment to figure a few more things out.

"I can pick them off for you and uh, perhaps Lux or Evan can deal with the rest. I mean, you guys are hunters so you could slip in, dispose of the bodies whilst I snipe them."

SERP nodded his head. The plan sounded good enough but it all depended on how fast they acted. The tree was massive and scaling its sides would likely take more time than a few minutes. Riley would probably have to wait until they were in position before firing the first round. Soon everyone began nodding to the plan, adding bits and pieces of their own insights. When they had eventually evaluated their plan and gone through it multiple times with different outcomes, the group decided to initiate it during the dead of the night.

* * *

Just as Evan had said, there were a total of four snipers Riley could see from his sniper rifle. It was the dead of the night and the colosseum was lit up like a Christmas tree as Fallen units shuffled on, still actively working. The more Riley watched them, the more curious he became of their activities. Was it truly some sort of factory they were working in? And if so, what were they making? Whatever secrets the Fallen were hiding, they needed to discover it and relay their message to the Vanguards before things got out of hand.

A hand shot out and gripped Riley's shoulders, causing the boy to flinch. The hand eased off immediately to his reaction and a familiar voice calmed his nerves.

"Sorry" Ginevra said as she sat down by Riley's side. "Didn't mean to scare you. Just wanted to check and see how things were."

Riley nodded his head and adjusted the sniper rifle resting against a rock he was using as a stand. Everything was going to plan and Riley only needed to wait until the two hunters from their team were in position.

Riley glanced through his scope, searching for the hunters. He found Lux huddled against some barrels in the shadows eyeing a small unit consisting of a few dregs and a single vandal. The group circled the area for a couple of minutes before making their way back around the other side of the colosseum. Lux took that moment to make a dash for the next collection of shadows by the foot of the colosseum's walls. Riley spotted more movement above Lux and found that Evan was scaling the tree already. He seemed to be handling things quite fine.

"They're climbing now" Riley said and Ginevra hummed her reply.

Carefully following their line of sights, Riley eventually broke away from the pair of hunters and to the nearest sniper who appeared at a window. A vandal carrying a large gun glanced out from his spot in the window, taking in the sights and occasionally bringing his scope up to search the darkness. Riley trained his crosshairs at the vandal's head, watching it scratch its worries and boredom away with one of its hands.

"_We're in position of the first sniper, Riley"_

"Affirmative…sniping in, three, two, one" Riley pulled the trigger on his rifle and the bullet soared straight between the vandal's eyes. Its head exploded on impact and its body collapsed backwards. A second later, Evan slipped into the same window and tossed the vandal out with its gun. The body dropped to the floor where Lux collected it and dragged it off to one side, stashing it into an area that was left unattended until daybreak.

"_One down, three more to go, Mr. Ryebread" _Evan chuckled and slipped back out the window and onto the tree.

"Don't call me that" grumbled Riley, earning a chuckle from the male hunter. Riley and Ginevra soon stood form their spot and quickly hurried over to their next location which was where SERP was. The Exo titan was busy scanning his surroundings, checking between the tree lines before beckoning the two over. Riley assumed his next position and rested his sniper rifle on a tree stump that had been cut down recently, possibly by the Fallen.

"_In position, your majesty."_

Riley sighed and aimed his rifle again. The second sniper was a stroller and it took a couple of seconds before Riley could spot him. The vandal yawned and moved from one window to the next. It paused at the third window, glancing about for a moment before raising its gun up and glancing through the scope. Riley readied himself and fired just as the vandal dropped its gun. Its head exploded as well and Evan was quick to slip into the window, kicking the body back in the process.

"_Oh snap, hold on"_ Evan said after a moment before the line went dead and Riley spotted a dreg's arm in view of a window. Riley tensed before something invisible tackled the dreg to the ground. A few aching seconds later, the vandal's corpse was tossed out the window along with a dreg. Lux hurried to the bodies and disposed of them as best as she could.

"What happened?" SERP inquired and Evan laughed.

"_Dreggie saw me. Don't worry, it was only one."_

SERP sighed, "be careful."

"_Aye, aye captain!" _

Riley narrowed his eyes and turned to Ginevra whom was watching the darkness around them. "Is he always like that…?"

She turned at the sound of his voice and stared at him quizzically. "Who, Evan?"

"Yeah."

A smile graced her lips and she nodded, laughing softly. "Always, but he's usually more infuriating."

"Great" grumbled Riley as he lined up his rifle's crosshairs onto the next sniper.

* * *

Evan slipped down through a shaft where a piece of the roof had been weathered down due to harsh climates. It was the perfect opening the group needed as they slid into a small dark and cold room on the highest floor of the colosseum. Checking his radar for any signs of life, Evan waited until Lux and SERP had joined him. Their plan was to infiltrate and search every inch of the place whilst Riley and Ginevra remained outside, providing covering fire for when they were ready to leave. So far, the plan was going smoothly, despite the cold chill of the night tickling their senses.

SERP walked forward, inspecting an old rusty door that would lead them out of the room whilst Lux took a moment to summon her Ghost and set up some sort of visual recorder. Eventually SERP had managed to bust open the door soundlessly and they made quick work of exiting. Outside, long corridors lined with wired lights hung from the walls. It was old, dusty and poorly maintained but the group figured the Fallen were concentrating on other matters than hygiene.

"Let's see if we can find a console to work with" SERP muttered to his group and pointed to his helmet, signalling them to use the commlink his Ghost had recently established. There was no protests voiced and SERP took it as a silent agreement before stepping down the hallway swiftly. Ahead, the group could hear the sounds of tools and equipment hammering and drilling metal sheets away. The likelihood that on this floor, there was some sort of workshop for maintenance was moderately high. Whatever the case, SERP decided to poke around a little and he sent Evan forward.

The hunter gave him the thumbs up and activated his invisible cloak, disappearing from their eyes and darting down the hallway. For a moment, SERP and Lux stood in silence, watching their surroundings for any signs of movement. Their guns were posed, ready to fire but at the same time, hesitant of attracting any sort of noise. SERP preferred to finish this mission as quickly and quietly as possible.

"_Hey thinkerbot"_ came Evan's voice through their ears. SERP and Lux exchanged looks before glancing down the hallway he had disappeared off to. _"Free to move up, no enemies in sight until you see this."_

"What is it?" SERP grumbled as he pressed forward, a finger on the trigger should the hunter miss something.

"_Yeah, lots of metal stuff here"_ chuckled Evan earning a deep sigh from Lux. _"But in all seriousness? Looks like some sort of hanger here. Yeah, they're working on their skiffs by the looks of it."_

A moment later, SERP had found the door slightly pried opened and presumed beyond it was the large hanger. Opposite of that door was a set of stairs leading down to some sort of lower room.

"Do you see a console?" Lux inquired.

"_Hmm yeah but even if I get there, someone is bound to see my ghosty getting to work. Look, this hanger is neat and all but I doubt it'll have any vital information in their database here. Might as well look elsewhere."_

"That sounds like a good place" SERP replied and pointed to the set of stairs for Lux to see. "Evan, get out of there and follow those stairs leading down, we'll wait for you"

"_Roger that, ironman"_ snickered the hunter earning another sigh from Lux. SERP merely rolled his eyes, unable to comprehend what this 'ironman' was as he descended the stairs. The floor seemed to be some sort of narrow catwalk overshadowing the entire floor from above. Metal railings and sheets provided little cover but the lights here were dim and allowed large pockets of shadows to envelope majority of the catwalk. SERP took a slow step forward, his heels noisily protesting to the metal floors. He froze, his eyes turning to Lux who cooed him to move more carefully. The Titan took a moment to adjust to the movement but eventually managed to walk more carefully and slowly towards the edge of the catwalk.

When he peered over, he was shock to see most of the interior below of the colosseum was harbouring a massive workshop of sorts.

"They're…?" Lux said struggling to form her words at the sight. "Making tanks here? No, other things as well?"

Form the looks of it, there were small stations with several dregs and vandals working on tanks, pikes and other weapons for war. There were even a few other land-based vehicles that weren't even in any database. This worried SERP as his eyes spotted several smaller dregs strapping on small glowing explosives to a shank's sides. They marvelled at their new creation before pushing the shank away and moving on to the next.

"Wow, they're getting ready for war I see" Evan whispered from directly behind Lux. The female hunter flinched and almost punched him in the face had he not side stepped out of the way in time. She glared at him and he chuckled, raising his hands in surrender.

SERP shook his head as the comms exploded with Riley's voice.

"_Uh, Sir. Riley here"_ came the hesitated voice of the young titan. SERP was quick to answer his young apprentice, curious to hear what he had to say. Did something happen outside? _"Ginevra and I had to move locations to a nearby church in front of a graveyard. There's also something else…"_

"What is it?"

Ginevra was next to talk, her breathing rapid as if she had been running for a while. _"Three fallen Skiffs are heading for the colosseum. It's the House of Devils."_

"What are they doing here?" Lux wondered as the pair felt the ground rumble and sirens blazing all of a sudden. The pair quickly retreated to the stairs away from the catwalk as they felt the entire colosseum rattle with life.

"_They're inbound now, sir! Best to find a place to—"_ the line was cut off due to some sort of static interference and SERP cringed.

Evan decided to pull the pair away from the stairs and into another room that housed some crates and such. He left the door slightly ajar to allow a splinter of light to creep in and waited. A few minutes later of endlessly waiting and the sounds of footsteps were heard followed by passing shadows. Evan managed to briefly spot the banner of the Plagues and Devils walking side by side before they descended the steps, possibly heading for the lower levels. Waiting for a few more passing seconds to tick by, the male hunter eventually crept outside into the light.

"Are they, working together?" Evan asked and was met with an eerie silence from the group. "Okay, I'll take that as a yes…"

"We need to inform the Vanguards about this" Lux said and eyed the set of stairs the Fallen had just proceeded down to. The House of Devils' appearance could only mean one thing. "They're planning another attack against the Last City, aren't they?"

SERP nodded his head, catching on what Lux had processed. "Let's see what we can find out"

Evan and Lux nodded and the pair returned back to the depths of the colosseum, agreeing to not return to surface until gathering what they needed. The catwalk was empty of life but a blue light blinking at the end of the path signalled signs of life. Evan went first and discovered the source of light was a Fallen lift that had been triggered. Before the group could use the lift, Lux froze and turned to the sound of a Fallen's screams. She stepped towards the railing of the catwalk with the group in toe and spotted the escorted group of Plagues and Devils.

"What are they doing?" Evan inquired. He watched one of the vandals from the House of Devils said something that caused its Baron to grip it by its throat. The vandal gasped, squirming before its neck was snapped and the Baron released it. "Ouch, that's got to hurt…"

The Fallen continued to converse with one another, ignoring the fact that the Baron from the House of Devils had just murdered one of its own kin. Digits appeared soon after and was quick to run a rough translation of the Fallen's tongue for the group to comprehend.

"_Those lesser should understand their place"_ grumbled the Baron and turned their eyes to the Fallen Captain dressed in the colours of the Plagues that was escorting them. The Captain merely nodded its head and directed the Devils towards a large Fallen Walker under repair.

"_Would you like a tour?"_ the Captain asked but was met with a firm shake of the baron's head.

"_I rather you show me how many weapons you have completed. Where is your Kell? I was told they would meet me."_

_"I apologise on behalf of our Kell but something has called for her immediate attention elsewhere"_ The Captain replied hastily before beckoning the Devils to follow him. _"I will show you the warehouse and you may speak to one of our Barons soon."_

The baron of Devils grunted in displeasure but tailed after the eager Captain. The small group had eventually walked off towards another elevator and out of sight. Evan had wanted to pursue them but SERP stopped him with a firm grip on his arm. He stared at a concerned Exo who weighed the outcomes of what they had discovered.

"Uh, Should we not be following them?"

"No, we'll only risk getting detected" SERP grumbled and climbed to a stand. Lux's ghost, Gonk hovered closely by, informing the group that he had recorded everything thus far. SERP was pleased, knowing that the vanguards would appreciate the act. "Now that we know what the House of Plagues is up to, we'll need to retrieve what we originally came for."

"The blueprints" Lux said and SERP nodded.

"Evan, Lux, let's find us a console to use and get out of here ASAP."

* * *

**The PIZZ4 GUY – **You really need to stop reading my mind, or maybe I'm just predictable? Either way it's not cool. Yes, Rome would be considered a deadzone, which I forgot to add in. Huh, guess I'll do it for the next chapter. Riley fighting a Kell would be…ha, do you think he can defeat such a mighty foe alone?

**N8man42 – **Super sorry and hope you'll still stick around! Thanks so much for the support thus far!

**Bladed Raptor –** Phew, I thought the battle against the Fallen Walker wouldn't be…exciting. But I'm glad you enjoyed every aspect of this chapter! It makes me very glad/happy. Oh, I'm having a blast playing the new DLC, don't you worry. Thanks so much!

**Reilly.216 – **Super sorry they didn't make it but I'm (well I should be I guess?) glad you have something new to look forward to! Haha, I really need to read your story. I know it's really good from a friend, so I'll drop reviews soon once I get around to that! Thanks so much, I really appreciate your support!

**Tacitus Shadowrunner – **thanks so much for giving it a go! But I'm afraid I have already chosen OCs for my story. Maru was a great read though and he sounds like such a good character!


	9. VIII - Fractured

**A/N: I'm early! But man, was this chapter killing me. The amount of times I rewrote this until I was satisfied... Jesus, and now I'm just dreading the next chapter. Totally got lazy to create another made up language for the Fallen so anything _Italics _is Fallen languages.**

**Also, just a heads up, I've been given more shifts at work due to some people leaving the company so once again, updates may be slow…maybe even more so than the usual wait. I'll do my best to make the deadline to ease your sufferings guys so please be patient with me!**

**Alright then, enjoy this Fallen filled chapter!**

* * *

_**Circle of War**__  
"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"_

**CHAPTER EIGHT – **_**Fractured**_

More than three days after the scouting mission in Rome, Riley and SERP had finally been called back to the Hall of Guardians. They're waiting for the verdict of their previous mission which was finally coming to surface. SERP, Lux and Evan had managed to descend the colosseum without alerting any bells and even managed to locate a console to hack into. Their Ghosts succeeded in discovering several significant leads and plans the House of Plagues were working towards. One of which were plans to stage a full assault against the City once more, just like Twilight Gap.

In the early hours of the morning with the sun finally peaking over the horizon, the two titans descended the steps towards their destination. It was no surprise to see the vanguards already waiting for them along with several others. Riley recognized both Evan and Lux in the mix of guardians surrounding the large table in the centre of the room. As the titans neared the table, Ikora was first to greet them with a smile and wave.

"Good, it seems everyone is accounted for" she said, quickly scanning the sea of eager faced guardians. Lux waved both SERP and Riley over and Evan offered them a 'thumbs up' with a wide grin. The pair merely nodded and waved their greetings in return as they stood side by side them. "Before we begin, SERP, the Speaker has requested your immediate attention in the North District"

SERP paused, locking eyes with Riley before nodded his head and turned to leave. The young apprentice watched as his mentor left, tackling a new mission that did not require his aid. He sighed, a little disappointed that his mentor would not be joining them. Evan noted the titan's change in mood and nudged him with his elbow. He smirked; wiggling his eyebrows which only made Riley cast him a wary look of displeasure. Before Evan could speak, Ikora's voice echoed across the room, commanding attention again.

"Guardians, we called you here to confront the growing threats of the Fallen. Due to our scouts' actions, we have come to terms that the House of Plagues, stationed in Rome is manufacturing weapons of destruction."

"We believe another attack on our city is due if something is not done" Cayde said, shaking his head gravely at the situation. "Hence, we have called upon your help, guardian."

"Your mission is to depart for Rome promptly where your field fireteam leader, Pahanin Errata will debrief you on site."

"Guardians, listen up" Ikora said with a clap of her hands. "I want to stress the gravity of the situation at hand here, guardians. Rome is a deadzone and has been lost to the Fallen, however under any circumstances, do not fail us. Humanity is depending on you all to achieve victory over our enemies. Keep your wits about you, guardians and return home safely."

With that, the group was dismissed from the hall with a little under an hour to prepare. The trio decided to pack and meet at the hanger within twenty to thirty minutes. Riley quickly headed for his room, calling Orion to assist him. It didn't take long to quickly gather his weapons, armour and any rations he had that would last him for a couple of days. He double checked his short list of items and exited his room only to bump into SERP in the hallway. The titan was deep in thought but appeared to be waiting for Riley at the end of the hallway. Riley was quick to join him with a wave.

"Sir?"

The Exo glanced up and met eyes with the younger titan. He nodded his head, relaxing his stiff posture before patting Riley's shoulder.

"I'll be leaving immediately for Venus, Riley" SERP explained and paused, trying to figure out how he would break whatever had been eating at him. "I do not…know when I'll return but I want you to be careful."

Riley nodded, "of course, sir."

"Listen, Pahanin is a good friend of mine. You do well to follow his orders as if they were my own. Eyes up, make sure you breathe and remember what I have taught you."

Again Riley nodded but this time he was hesitating. "SERP…are you implying something?"

The Exo was silent before chuckling. He shook his head and squeezed Riley's shoulder slightly then turned on his heels. Riley quickly caught up with him and the pair took the lift to the Tower's Watch together. For a long while, SERP said nothing, his eyes concentrated on the doors in front of him. Riley waited, feeling a little uneasy as he went over SERP's words. It wasn't the first time the two were separated from one another. There were quite a few times SERP had to stop training for a few days in order to answer the vanguard's calls. Riley remembered those unproductive days of endlessly waiting for his mentor to return. However this time, something felt different.

Almost off.

The elevator doors slid open on their floor and the pair exited into the massive busy hanger. Riley spotted Lux and Evan standing by one of the Frames that was nonchalantly speaking with them regarding their Jumpship. Before Riley could join them, SERP reached out and gripped his shoulder.

"Return home safely, you hear me?"

Riley nodded, a smile spreading on his face. "You too, sir. I'll wait for you, at our usual spot at the bar, okay?"

SERP nodded, chuckling at his apprentice. He released him and waltzed towards his own Jumpship in waiting without looking back. Riley watched him disappeared in a blur into his Jumpship which eventually pulled out of the hanger and broke orbit for Venus. A strange and concerning feeling engulfed his stomach and he felt a little sick. But as quickly as it came, the pain subsided and Riley heard his voice being called. Quickly, the titan rushed to meet his fireteam who were eager to leave for Rome.

* * *

The Kell of Plagues was furious.

Baron Korrik saw it in her wild eyes as he sucked in a deep breath. As soon as morning came, the entire colosseum was thrown into chaos. Explosions slammed into their walls and echoing gunfire that ripped lives away lingered. Even beyond this room they had retreated to, the baron could hear the Fallen screams. The House of Devils had turned on them after the Kell of Plagues had thrown their truce out the window. At first, he was unsure of her actions but later, after she explained in great detail of the Devils' true intentions of their truce. By the House of Kings' orders, the Devils marched to the Plagues, negotiating a flimsy treaty. They claimed to restore the Fallen's empire back to its former glory. But his Kell grew suspicious and hunted down the truth of their treaty. When she found out what lies they had fed them, she was more than ready to throw their truce back into their faces.

Even if they were condemned to fall.

"_My Kell, we must leave now" _said Baron Korrik as he darted his eyes towards his Kell who stared heatedly at a set of double doors. Beyond those doors were her subordinates, fighting to protect them with all of their lives. The Kell gripped her shock blade, anger burning every inch of her. She wanted to fight, to show the Devils that she wasn't some Fallen to be trifled with. The baron knew this but was also concerned for her life. Should she fall, the House of Plagues would be thrown into hysteria without a Kell to lead them._ "A Skiff is waiting, please my Kell…"_

A low growl escaped the Kell's lips as she whirled on him, her eyes large and livid. The eyes of a deadly beast that thirsted for prey to slaughter. For a moment, the baron thought his life would be extinguished right then and there but after silences lapsed on, it became evident that his Kell had retained enough sanity to hold herself into place. She growled at him and returned to staring at the double doors. Another explosion rocked the room, sending small tremors all along the room. Time was ticking and every second wasted was another step closer to death.

"_Baron Korrik, unlike those Kings or Devils, I do not tolerate betrayal nor leaving my kin behind whilst I flee to safety" _replied his Kell with a hiss. She stretched her arms, her fingers flexing on the hilt of her blade before she brought it up, testing its sharpness with a quick slash through the air. Satisfied, she turned and fished for an object in the many pockets in her armour. Baron Korrik shook his head as the object, strange in shape and tiny in her hands was presented to him.

"_But my Kell, you can't be thinking of returning to the—"_ Korrik's concern was pushed away as she shoved the object into his chest, a glare forming.

"_The House of Plagues stands for honour, Korrik" _snarled his Kell as she brushed his remark off. Walking to her throne, Korrik watched as his Kell retrieved her helmet. The skull of an ancient bird like creature was fashioned into a black as midnight helmet for his Kell. A thousand black feathers intertwined to net the most perfect cape graced his Kell's shoulders as she adjusted her weapons and armour. _"I will not fall so easily nor will I run with a tail between my legs, baron."_

Korrik couldn't help but release a low growl of admiration. The current Kell and head of the House of Plagues was a Fallen that he knew many others had strived to become. Once a baroness, she rose to rule when she knew the previous Kell was unsuitable to keep law and order in their house. This Fallen, who earned respect from all, was none other than Aviris, a Kell to be feared.

"_Korrik, take our treasures and return to the Ketch"_ ordered Aviris.

"_What will I do then if something should…"_ the baron was unable to finish his sentence and was left with a sickening feeling in his gut. He bit his lips, his eyes involuntarily glancing down at the foreign object in his hands. So small and sharp, such a thing was once full of life and now it was dead. Nothing more than scraps for the Fallen to pick at, and yet it still held so many secrets and possibilities. A token and memory that he knew was precious to his Kell.

"_Worry less and act fast, my patience wears thin."_

Korrik swallowed thickly and he watched Aviris shake her head at him. She reached out and gripped his shoulders, her eyes revealing nothing but passion and a yearning for the battlefield. She was a warrior above all else and a Kell who valued an important code of conduct. Korrik knew the chances of her returning back to them alive was slim but a part of him couldn't help but believe in her. He sighed, angered that this turn of events had come.

It wasn't even a year after her rule and yet here she was, ready to fight more than thousands of bloodthirsty enemies. Putting her life on the line for honour and family.

"_My Kell, I will wait for your return then"_ he said, giving in to her stubbornness. _"I will hold your treasure so you will return to claim it once again."_

His Kell laughed loudly and trekked towards the exit. She didn't even pass him another look as she pushed open the doors, her blade already swinging into the throat of the nearest enemy. Korrik watched her disappear into a mist of blood and ether, gone from his sight in a matter of seconds. He sighed, clenching her treasure in his hand and turned on his heels.

"_Prepare my ship, I leave for the Ketch immediately!"_ he howled to the nearest vandal who scrambled to assemble a ship for him.

* * *

The entire colosseum was engulfed in war.

A deadzone filled with deadly live fire, blood and death that would make the mightiest guardian's knees buckle in fear. Pahanin held in a breath, astonished to see two opposing sides pitted against one another. He had heard from live reports from both the House of Devils and House of Plagues partnership but he had not anticipated an all-out war between them. Besides him, his small group consisting of four fireteams stood, staring wide eyed at the entire scene below them.

"Are they…really fighting?" mumbled a guardian to his right. Pahanin casted a final look to the gruesome scene before clearing his throat nervously. Now was not the time to be standing back and allowing the Fallen to massacre everything in sight. They still had their mission and Pahanin wanted more than eager to finish it by his hands.

"Listen up, guardians!" wailed the hunter leader. "We'll follow through with the plan, first up, fireteam Beta and Gamma. You two will be providing support cover when we get in and out of the complex. Defend our asses! Team Delta is with my team, as we'll infiltrate the base. Move out!"

The guardians all nodded their heads, expressing their agreement with shouts, claps and salutes. With their cooperation, Pahanin whirled on his heels and descended the hill they were perched on. His guardians were right behind him as they locked and loaded their guns, prepping them for a gruelling battle ahead. Since the entire area was under Fallen activity and alive with fire, the hunter leader decided to simply push through the enemies' ranks. They charged through, leaping over corpses and abandoned equipment.

Both team Beta and Gamma sliced a path for the guardians as they slipped and slid into cover. Somewhere behind them a large explosion erupted sending a large cloud of black smoke and flames into the air. The ground shook violently as a Fallen Walker stormed out from nowhere, trampling Fallens and small white tents in the process. Its main canon turned, firing a single rocket at a couple of Plagues and sent their corpses launching in the air. Evan whistled, finding everything a little too amusing as Lux glared at him.

She was about to open her mouth until Pahanin commanded them to move up. They rushed to the next shelter, barely taking cover as a rain of bullets descended down on them from snipers in perched windows. Three smaller spider tanks, possibly the newest creation from the House of Plagues burst through an opening in the wall. They reared their heads, moving quickly across the field and engaged the Devils' Fallen tank. Riley casted his head back, his eyes wide with interest as the smaller spider tanks began pelting the Walker with a rain of bullets. One of the Spiders fired a large missile that knocked the Walker's leg off. It capsized and the Spiders continued to pelt its precious engines.

"Keep up!" someone screamed and Riley snapped to attention. He quickly scrambled after his group, dodging a dreg which turned the corner. The Fallen ignored him completely as it dragged a large Shrapnel launcher to pass to a captain. A few more explosions littered the battlegrounds before the sounds of gunfire were dulled out when the team proceeded through the colosseum. Inside, corpses of both the Devils and Plagues were scattered about. It was like a party gone wrong, horrid and disgusting to their eyes.

The smell was even more sickening but the group continued their advance. By now, team Beta and Gamma were forced away from the rest of the group. They quickly set up a line of defence, tackling any enemies in their way. Majority of the time, the Fallen were too engrossed in their own wars to take noticed of the guardians sneaking their way through.

"_We're getting heavy resistance out here, sir!"_ cried a guardian from team Gamma through the commlinks. Pahanin paused, halting the group into a standstill as he responded quickly to the distress call.

"Retreat to a safer perimeter and defend that position until it's time for extraction"

"_Aye sir!"_

Satisfied, Pahanin turned back to his task, guiding the guardians along. They erupted into a large spacious room where another skirmish was ensured between the two houses. Upon their arrival, the Fallen were quick to notice them and turned their weapons to the guardians.

"Take cover!" Pahanin screamed as he leapt for a pillar to shield himself from the incoming pelts of bullets. Riley managed to scramble into cover with Lux closely behind him. Evan had to knock a dreg in the face with his gun before shooting the Fallen dead to cover his own hide. A female warlock and male titan from Pahanin's fireteam however struggled to find suitable cover. The female warlock dived, slamming into a few crates in the process but lost her gun as the titan was hit in the shoulder. He screamed and dropped into a roll as a vandal raised its gun in delight at its sharpshooting.

Pahanin watched as the titan fell and a painful memory surfaced into his mind. He recalled a strong titan falling very much the same way and his heart erupted at the familiar pain. It was just like that time, deep within Venus. The cold and dark place crowded with their enemies, the titan that lost so much and the hunter that was forced to flee. _Kabr._

But Pahanin wasn't in Venus anymore and he was not alone. He did not have to crawl his way back to surface with his bare hands. Nor did he have to leave behind the one friend he loved like a brother. No, things had changed. He had enough of running. Now he would pursue and this time, he won't let his friends fall before him.

"Cover me!" Pahanin roared and immediately the fireteam exchanged bullets with the Fallen. Pahanin skidded under the bullets, his eyes determined to scoop up the titan and drag him over to the female warlock's position. A few seconds later, the fireteam were safely behind cover, tending to the wounds of the titan.

"Sorry, sir…" grumbled the wounded titan.

"Enough, Bradley. Khallis, look after him" warned the hunter leader as he loaded up his rifle. "We'll move when there's an opening, be prepared."

The female warlock, Khallis nodded her head, her attention already working on patching the titan's wounds. He grunted in displeasure for being the first to go down but obeyed the warlock's command to press his wound to stop the bleeding. Pahanin turned his eyes back to the situation. To his right he could see Riley, Lux and Evan firing into the Fallen. Their numbers were dwindling slowly as the fight continued but the hunter knew time was against them.

They couldn't be caught here fighting for too long. Every second passed and they would be missing their chance of eliminating their target, the Kell. Pahanin pressed a hand to his helmet, his head ached and he was sweating heavily. He was conflicted on how to go about this.

Pahanin took a moment to inhale and exhale, taking everything into perspective. The Fallen seemed hell bent on each other but now that they had jumped into the mix, perhaps there was still time to use this to their advantage. His eyes searched the room, seeking a way they could escape through. There was still time, he could make it.

"Evan!" Pahanin cried, startling the hunter who was reloading his weapon. "You're a bladedancer right?"

"The best tango dancing hunter you've ever met" he grinned as he fired at a vandal and watched its corpse drop to the floor with ether and blood seeping out from its neck.

Pahanin ignored his remark, "see those Fallen to your right by that pillar? Get rid of them and test the door they're guarding"

Evan smirked, nodding his head and quickly activated his guise. He was gone in a blink of an eye and crossed the small distance over to the cowering Fallen. Producing a knife out, Pahanin watched as an invisible force cut down the dregs in a heartbeat. Once the last dreg was downed, the doors were busted open and Evan's cloak deactivated as he took cover.

"It's empty, we're leaving through here right?"

Pahanin responded with a 'yes' quickly then turned and gripped Khallis shoulder, "everyone, provide concentrating fire on the enemy. Khallis, Bradley and I are crossing first. Defend us at all cost!"

Riley, Lux and Evan nodded their heads, preparing for the heavy task at hand. Pahanin counted to five before gripping Bradley over his shoulder. Khallis was right on his tail, firing whilst they ran. The trio traversed the room, marching as fast as they could as bullets hailed down on them. However every shot seemed to miss or never hit their mark as the trio were supported by their teammates who were firing their guns at every Fallen that turned on them.

The trio collapsed into cover and Pahanin slipped Bradley's arm off him. He darted his eyes at their exit, managing to see the hallway ahead lined with Fallen corpses, bullets and blood. Evan saluted him and shot at a shank who dared to aim their way.

"Lux, Riley! Move up, we're getting out of here" roared Pahanin as he sent Khallis first into the hallway with her guns ready. Bradley leaned against Pahanin again for support again and the pair moved into the safety of the hallway as the remaining team of fireteam Delta dodged bullets to reach them. Once everyone was in the hallway, Evan shut the doors and joined the small circle.

"Bradley's good arm is down" Khallis determined earning a glare from the titan. "I doubt he'd be able to provide much help from here on out."

Pahanin agreed and the titan attempted to explain that he could still shoot fine. The group begged to differ. "The mission must go on but since we have a wounded…"

"I'm fine!" Bradley shrieked, pushing off of Pahanin and standing up on his own. "I can shoot!"

"But your injuries—" Lux said but was immediately quieten by Bradley's roar.

"I can fight!"

"Enough!" Pahanin interjected. He pointed at the fuming titan. "Listen, my job here is to complete the mission _and_ return you home safely. The vanguards will have my head if anyone is returned in a body bag."

The hallway was still, no one said a word. Riley watched as Bradley's stubbornness crumbled and he begun nodding his head.

"We'll complete this mission and get out of here" Pahanin assured them. The group all nodded their heads, eventually agreeing to the hunter's words. With that, the group decided to move on. However they made sure that any confrontations they were thrown into, they would prioritise Bradley's safety first. Fifteen minutes later of manoeuvring through the building, the group approached a large room directly connected to a long hallway that would lead to where a sort of throne room was established. Pahanin instructed Khallis and Bradley to remain behind and hidden whilst the rest moved up. There was no need to involve them any further so Pahanin's group would finish the job and return for them soon. Upon entering the room, the entire area was engulfed into a deadly warzone.

Barons, captains, servitors, shanks and more were thrown into the mix. It was utter mayhem as the group swallowed nervously. Riley shivered at the carnage, watching guns and blades tear up the lives of many Fallen.

"Oh wow, now this…" Evan said watching the entire scene unfold, "is insane."

Lux couldn't agree more and clenched her weapon firmly in her grip. "Is the Kell among them?"

Pahanin surveyed the room but with everyone moving about and so much exchange of bullets and blood, it was hard to see. Even the Plagues' stealth vandals were mixed in with the fray. Then he saw it, a large Fallen coated in black feathers wielding twin Shock blades in the mix. The beast slashed viciously at the Devils, its blade tearing life and ether from them. It was as if they were dancing on a battle field, using the blood of her enemies as confetti. None could deny them being the Kell as they were decorated impressively compare to the other Fallen.

"Found them" Pahanin said and pointed.

The group peered over their covers and spotted the Kell stabbing the heart of a captain. The Kell continued to stab the captain three more times before stepped away from the corpse and grabbing a baron by the shoulder. The group watched as a few words were exchanged before the baron roared, attracting another baron and baroness to his call. Immediately the dangerous Fallen rushed out of the room and into a separate hallway. Pahanin could only guess that they were retreating into the throne room to make their escape.

"Let's move."

The group nodded their heads and tailed after them only to spot several Devils pressing into the hallway as well. It seemed like the guardians weren't the only ones hunting the Kell of Plagues. But Pahanin could not let them take their kill, he wouldn't allow it.

* * *

**The PIZZ4 GUY – **Fixed the King's issue. Haha, yeah totally didn't know that so thanks for the heads up! Nope, you're still reading my mind regardless of me saying anything. Oh wells, hopefully I can blow your mind away then with some plot twists! (If I can figure something out haha). Thanks for the feedback, guess my story is pretty fine as it is. Pace wise. So, what do you think of this chapter? Haha.

**Bladed Raptor –** I keep reading your name as bladed reaper for something reason haha. I've yet to get anywhere near getting an awesome weapon/armour from HoW. Forever level 32! Haha. Oh yes, female enemies. I know the feeling. The baroness was a bit of a let down when I saw that she was just the same male model of Captains. But its still early, bungie could be throwing us more female enemies soon! Oh I assure you, this Kell is 100% my character! So, did I stir your heart with this chapter?

**Qwertyunion – **You have no idea how happy I am to see you review my story! I know the feeling but I don't think I can post frequently as I would like to. I rather give your quality chapters rather than bleh ones. Evan is a fun character to mess around with, he's just perfect for the comic relief type of characters and Lux is perfect for the character that just can't stand his shenanigans! Also yes, more love for wittle Riley! There'll definitely be more awkward Riley moments in the future, just you wait!


	10. IX - Skirmishes

**A/N: I…I made it. Man, how on earth did I manage to do this whilst tackling life? Dear god, thank the lords I had enough inspirations and time to get things done. **

**_Italic_ \- Fallen languages and Commlinks ****communications.**

**Anyway, enjoy this as always friends!**

* * *

_**Circle of War**  
__"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"  
_

**CHAPTER NINE - _Skirmishes_.**

Khallis Zeranth had her glowing white eyes trained on the door in front of them. The door was partially ajar and occasionally she would crane her head out and survey the long hallway. Behind her, she could hear the grumbling injured titan Bradley making another ruckus, much to her displeasure. The room was empty save for a couple of rotting crates of rusty equipment and weapons. It seemed like the storage room hadn't been touched in a very long time and was perfect for the pair to be in. According to Pahanin's theories.

"Khallis" groaned the titan as he attempted to adjust his position on a couple of crates. He was growing restless and was starting to pester her. The warlock glanced over her shoulders to the titan who waved her over. She hesitated, her eyes flickering back to the door. Her job was to protect them and hopefully deal with any Fallen who decided it was the best course of action to flank them. Eventually she gave in and wandered over to the titan.

He sighed, content she had finally decided to answer him. "Come closer."

"What is it, Bradley?" she inquired, lowering the weapon in her hand which was originally Bradley's. She still hadn't been able to retrieve her weapon that she had lost a few rooms back. And since Bradley was in no condition to shoot, his gun was the next best weapon she could wield. "You're not going to ask me to scratch your arm or anything, is it?"

"No, no" the titan said with a fan of his hand. He beckoned her closer and she drew near, slowly. "Look, I'm tired and we're not going to get anything done. Humour me."

Khallis tilted her head to one side curiously, "how so?"

"I don't know, say anything. Tell me…" Bradley said with a shrug, "tell me about how you met Pahanin?"

The warlock paused, reaching into the depths of her memory to recall the very first time she had encountered the hunter. It was probably around the time she had been given a solo mission of her own and had fallen into a terrible Vex ambush. Close to death, she was saved when Pahanin stumbled upon the ambush, rushing head first into the thick of it all to her side. He dealt with everything smoothly, raising his machine gun and tore through them like a hot knife through butter. After that, he offered his assistance to tend to her wounds and even spent the next few days helping her complete her mission.

She couldn't have asked for a better friend and smiled as she opened her mouth to explain.

"Hold that thought" Bradley said suddenly and raised himself off the crate. He held his wound, hissing in pain and walked towards the door. "Think I heard something…"

"What?" Khallis was quick to act, pushing past the titan towards the door. "Stand back."

The warlock's hand reached out, barely touching the door's frame before something hit her hard across the head from behind. She gasped, her head rocking forward and she stumbled into the door. Catching herself she twisted around but was met with a fist that connected with the front of her helmet. Her head hit the wall and she screamed, as another well placed fist slammed into her stomach. Her senses went wild immediately as the fist exploded with arc light.

She felt a painful jolt of electricity run up her spine as her body tensed tightly. The grip on her gun loosened and she couldn't even find the energy to tighten her grip on it as it slipped from her fingertips. Bradley was in her face and she attempted to open her mouth to speak but found her voice betraying her. Instead she gritted her teeth together as her knees buckled and she collapsed to the ground. Bradley watched her fall, not a shred of sympathy in his eyes as he scooped up his gun and checked the magazine.

"Sorry, dove, I'm not one to sit on my ass all day" chuckled the titan. "No hard feelings."

"W-wh…ryy…" Khallis feebly shuttered, her voice cracking and body slowly shutting down.

"Just rest here for a bit, yeah?" Bradley replied and raised the butt of his gun. He slammed it down against Khallis' head and watched as her conscious was lost to the darkness. Her body slacked and she remained still. Bradley gripped her helmet and pulled it off, double checking she had indeed fallen unconscious before slipping it back on and turning for the door. A moment later her Ghost, Gnat appeared in the titan's face.

"What are you doing?!" the Ghost howled.

Bradley clicked his tongue at the Ghost and plucked it from the air. He tossed the Ghost towards Khallis body and quickly slipped out whilst locking the door.

"Hey!"

"Just shut up and stay still, you don't want any Fallen to hear you when she's out, right?" Bradley said and waited a few more seconds until the Ghost had eventually simmered down. With a satisfied nod of his head, the titan turned, readying his gun and dashing for the room at the end of the hallway.

* * *

SERP found the Speaker in his quarters by the large balcony overshadowing the city below. He was staring up at the Traveller, a portable electronic pad in one hand. As the titan cleared his throat, the Speaker turned slowly and beckoned him to come closer.

"You called for me?" SERP inquired as he gripped the rails that provided the only protection from falling to one's death.

"Yes, guardian" said the Speaker softly. "I'd like to hear, from you personally, your report three months ago on the Moon. The guardian that wielded a black handcannon."

SERP frowned, folding his arms over his chest as he searched his memory bank. "The hunter, he declared that his fireteam was ambushed and the culprit had made off with his ghost. It was all arouse to separate us. I heard a gunshot and returned to see Riley had been killed and the hunter was attempting to take Riley's Ghost. However I stopped him and he ran off."

"This guardian, was once a part of a few handful of accomplished who ruled the Crucible."

"I heard. He was the guardian who wielded the Rose, right?" SERP inquired to which the Speaker nodded to.

"A Rose once but now nothing more than a Thorn…" sighed the representative of the Traveller. He continued to play with the pad in his hands until he shut off the hardware and pulled out a small USB chip that had been installed into its slim sides. The Speaker handed the chip off to SERP who stared down at it curiously. Digits appeared a moment later, eager to read whatever secrets were downloaded into it. "Recently there has been an influx of similar cases congregating. Even the burning of Palamon was ignited by a guardian carrying the Rose."

"He burned an entire settlement?" SERP said and inserted the chip into Digits' socket located behind the small ghost. Digits hovered to his side and begun sorting through all the information provided that the Speaker had provided.

"That and more colonies have been extinguished these past months."

"What can I do?"

The Speaker nodded his head and set the Pad down on a small table. He turned back to staring up at the traveller, his mind wondering about for the right words to start off with. "Apologises, with little to go on about, there is nothing you can aid with. However, I will need your assistance in another matter."

"In any way I can help, sir" SERP replied confidently.

"Very well. Make haste for Venus. A pair of other guardians is already on route and will meet you there. All the information you need is contained in that chip"

SERP nodded his head and Digits made a sound, as if agreeing.

"Safe travels, guardian and may the Light guide you" said the Speaker a final time as SERP saluted him and turned on his heels. He was already reading the data Digits had kindly showed him as he made his way towards his first task, which was to bid Riley farewell.

* * *

"What this battle needs is some Beethoven. Maybe even a little Fifth symphony to get things started" Evan said as Lux snapped in his direction. Under all the heavy fire the group were dealing with and the rush to beat the Devils to the throne room, Evan still had a cocky smile on his face that half his fireteam had wanted to slap off should they see it.

"Are you seriously considering that now of all times?" Lux cried as she ducked back into cover behind a wall and slapped in a new magazine. Besides her, Pahanin was shaking his head but directed his concentration back to the battle at hand.

Evan shrugged, rolling his shoulders in anticipation. "Why not? Can't you appreciate a little music now and then?"

Riley cackled at this, "not in this sort of situation, Evan."

"No? You must be insane to think otherwise. It's the _perfect_ time to hit up some beats."

"I think you need to get your priorities checked" Lux grumbled and shot up the last vandal in sight. Evan gave her a look as if she was the crazy one. The group pressed on, mainly because Pahanin chose to ignore Evan's shenanigans.

Along the way, Evan continued to debate about the subject which Lux had really much wanted to drop as they fought through more than plenty of units of Devils. It didn't take long for the group to charge through a set of busted doors into the spacious grand throne room. Here the battle was even more intense with the Plagues backed up to one side of the room. Among the ranks of the heated battle, the Kell of Plagues was ripping into the flesh of a poor Captain. The Devils pressed on, firing rounds into the swirling strange purple shield of the Kell who barely felt each bullet. She turned, throwing the corpse into a small group of dregs and watched as they crashed into a wall, screaming. With a mighty roar she stepped forward and blinked a short distance at the next Captain, her blade sinking into the tender neck of her victim.

Evan whistled, shivering at the gruelling scene of blood and ether exploding. Pahanin on the other hand was concentrating more on the flow of battle. Though the Kell was strong, she barely had any support. What happened to the barons and baronesses with her moments ago? Had they died or perhaps they had fled? Whatever the case, Pahanin ushered the group into cover immediately when the Devils eventually caught on to their appearance.

A baron from the Devil's side which Lux and Evan remembered to be the very same they had seen three days ago, was among the few firing at the Kell. The Kell caught on to the baron and screamed, throwing insults in their direction as Riley's Ghost appeared a moment later. He threw down a rough translation he had downloaded from Digits before they left for their mission and the group shivered at the velocity of hate the Kell screamed.

Evan laughed and prepared his gun ready on Pahanin's signal. The hunter leader waited, watching as the Baron removed himself from his cover and charged head first at the Kell.

She screamed, _"You are nothing more than a swine to cut!"_

"_And you dare defy us Aviris? You've sentenced your house to annihilation!"_

The baron slammed his gun into Aviris' hip and fired four times into her shield. She screamed, her shield dissolving in a blink of an eye before she gripped his gun, pulled it free from his hands and tossed it across the room. The gun slammed inches from where the guardians were and they flinched as it landed nosily to the ground.

"_The House of Plagues will not become a tool for the Kings only to be discarded after!"_

Aviris grasped the baron by his throat and impaled him in the stomach with one of her blades. The baron howled in agony, flailing his hands about before kicking her away. She growled lowly and stepped back, watching the baron tumble to the ground in a heap, wheezing at his wounds. A few captains were on her immediately, slicing their blades at her.

"_Fools!"_ she screamed, grabbing one captain's blade with her bare hands and pulling it free. She twisted out of danger and slammed her enemy's' blade into a shrieking captain. Kicking the wounded away, she turned her attention next to another captain who produced a gun on her. _"You dare to challenge me? Fight like a true Fallen!"_

The captain freaked at her words and fired at her in a panic as she advanced on him hauntingly. His bullets scratched at her shoulder pads knocking her back for a moment before she blinked into his face and punched him between the eyes. The captain yelped in pain and she finished him off by using his own weapon against him. It only two to three bullets before the captain dropped dead before her feet. She gave another bellow, the heat of the battle engulfing every aspect of her being.

Riley swallowed thickly, watching as the Kell took on the Devils bravely on her own. The guardians watched in plain awe as she devastated the battlefield, seemingly invincible to everything the Devils threw at her. Riley couldn't help but wonder how they would be able to tackle such a monster.

"So…" Evan said slowly, "we're killing that?"

Pahanin nodded, "…you ready?"

Everyone exchanged looks and Evan swallowed a lump in his throat, "right, let me just throw up my heart first."

Riley raised his hand in the air as his face paled at the brutal execution of another vandal belonging to the house of Devils. "I second this notion."

"Don't you start too" Lux said with a laugh. Riley only flushed pinkish and was thankful his helmet had masked his face. He was slightly embarrassed he had been caught up in the moment and agreed with Evan in such a dire situation. He coughed, trying to bury his embarrassment by checking over his weapon as Pahanin shook his head at them. A moment later, something exploded through a set of double doors to their right. The guardians turned their gaze over to a panting titan who gave a mighty bellow and charged forward.

Pahanin was already climbing to a stand with a scream, "Bradley!"

The fellow titan ignored the hunter, running across the room and channelling more arc energy into his fist. He jumped, his arms raised high in the sky before he brought it down for a devastating explosion of arc light. The blast threw both the Devils and Plagues back with an agonizing screech. Aviris hissed, and reared backwards, as arc light slapped painfully at her shield that barely had enough time to fully recover.

"Did he just, Fist of havoc everything Leeroy Jenkins style?" Evan choked as both Riley and Lux gave him an odd look.

"Who's Leeroy…?" Riley inquired and Evan sighed deeply.

"Do you not read?"

Riley opened his mouth to speak but was silenced by Evan's hand which pushed him away by his helmet. He glared for a moment but turned in time to see Pahanin racing out of cover towards the titan.

"Cover him!" Lux cried and was immediately concentrating on the Fallens who had recovered from their initial shock and were turning their weapons on the distracted guardians. Evan and Riley did not have to be told twice as they raised their guns, pulling the trigger as many times as they needed to slay their targets. By now Bradley was recovering from his attack and whirling around as both the baron and Kell composed themselves.

"_You dare bring guardians into your matter again, traitor?"_ the baron howled as he raised his weapon, slamming his finger down on the trigger. Bradley's eyes widen and it was only then did he understand what an idiotic thing he had done. He was a fool and he figured that his last actions were to be sandwiched between two powerful Fallens. The titan brought his arms up, shielding his face and accepting his fate but instead of feeling the burning pain of a Fallen's bullet, he was hit by something else hard.

Aviris moved forward and shoved the guardian out of the way, taking the full brute of the baron's attack. She screeched in pain but stood her ground regardless of losing her protective shield and retaliated. She managed to hurl one of her shock blades at the Baron which missed and lodged itself in the throat of an unsuspecting vandal behind the baron.

Pahanin skidded to a stop and pulled the fallen titan to the nearest cover he could get them to. Lux blinked her eyes and exchanged looks with Riley who had witnessed the entire scene unfold in awe.

"Did that Kell just…?" Riley uttered slowly.

Lux nodded, already anticipating his words. "She did and it saved his life."

Evan poked his head between the two, completely lost about what they had discovered. He glanced from one guardian to the next, his eyes poking prying for answers. "What? What?"

Lux pushed his face away and gripped her weapon in her hands, "there's something weird about that Kell…"

Riley nodded in agreement just as Evan leaned his chin heavily on his shoulder. The titan frowned but allowed Evan to just simply 'hang' on there as he conversed with Lux about the baffling topic, "what did that baron say, bringing in another guardian again?"

The female hunter nodded her head which made the little gears in Riley's mind spin. What did the baron mean by another guardian?

"So, does that mean she assisted or was helped by guardians in the past before?" Evan concluded rather plainly. The pair turned their gaze to the hunter. Evan held their gazes, blinked slowly before shrugging when no words were exchanged. Lux broke away and turned back to staring at the Kell who was engaging the Fallen again, flinging insults their way. She narrowed her eyes, picturing the Fallen walking side by side next to a guardian but couldn't grasp the concept of two enemies forming some sort of mutual agreement for some time. Riley on the other hand was more inclined to agree with what Evan had said.

"But there has never been any documentations regarding a temporary alliance with the House of Plagues before" Lux informed. "And I like to keep up to date."

"Ohhh Luxeen is a big girl" Evan said clapping his hands to which Lux responded with a slightly raised fist. Evan chuckled and used Riley as a human shield whilst the titan shook his head, waving his hands about to cool Lux's fury. Eventually she sighed and dropped her fist, casting her eyes back to the violent battle. By now the Kell had retreated to a large wall as the Devils pelted her position. It seemed like she was waiting for her shield to regenerate from the on slaughter it had taken. Riley wondered how long before the Kell would fall and apart of him questioned if there was another way to settle things.

The Kell of Plagues knew something that the guardians didn't and he was more than eager to figure that out. But should the Kell fall…

"_Riley, Lux, Evan. Are you ready to attack?"_ Pahanin's voice echoed in the trio's ears and the group cast their eyes over to where the hunter leader was. He had managed to restrain Bradley long enough to keep him quiet but it didn't seem like the hunter was pleased with his actions.

"Sir, I have something to say" Riley immediately followed as he caught Lux's stare. He swallowed and Pahanin gestured him to proceed with what he had on his mind. "The Kell of Plagues, there's something she knows…"

"_What are you saying?"_

"Well, judging by what the baron of Devils had said…er, she seems to have formally had some form of contact with guardians in the past."

"_How can you be so sure?"_

"We can't" Lux interjected. For a moment, Riley wondered if Lux had read his mind and was also curious to test some dangerous waters. He waited, allowing her to speak as he gripped his weapon tightly. "But we can't let the Kell die, not until we discover what she is hiding…"

"Permission to speak, sir!" Evan said with a hand raised like a child. "Let's interrogate the Kell, capture her if we must."

"_We…don't have the equipment to detain her"_ Pahanin sighed. _"However, I'm curious to see where this goes. Right, how shall we do this?"_

The group was stunned to silence, startled Pahanin had actually agreed to something as dangerous as this. Riley cleared his throat, his eyes surveying his surroundings. By now, more Plagues were flooding out from a door with blades raised. They charged the battlefield, defending what honour and might they had left for their house. It seemed impossible to get close enough to the Kell without getting shot or sliced somehow.

"Maybe we should clear the room of the Devils first?" Evan declared as he pointed to the small group of Devils knitted closely by each other. A few were hidden behind structures for safety but the group could tell that their numbers were dwindling considerably. "Maybe she'll be impressed so much that she'll thank us?"

"_Sounds risky but at least we'd have our backs covered should she turn on us. Very well, fireteam Delta, I charge you with the elimination of the Devils whilst I'll transport our injured guardian to a safer location."_

"Titans" snorted Evan as he snapped his fingers. A moment later, his Ghost began emitting a series of piano melodies.

Lux gave him a crazed stare, "are you seriously playing Beethoven now of all times?!"

The hunter smirked, nodding his head as he prepped his gun ready. "Calm down and enjoy the music."

Riley shook his head and pulled Lux down from cover, telling her to ignore him and just get this over and done with. The trio were quick to gather themselves and begin their assault. One by one they fired from their covers at the Devils who were pinned down by two oppressing sides. The two Devil's barons leading the charge against the plagues slipped back into cover as their shields were torn down by a rain of bullets from the guardians. The stealth vandals eventually moved up from their position and sank their blades into the front lines of the devils' units. The Kell of plagues moved up as well, growling with determination to eradicate every last one of the Devils.

"_Scums!"_ one Devil baron shrilled, tossing a grenade at the guardians. _"You dare support these traitors?"_

Riley dived off towards a pillar as the explosion destroyed their previous cover. He turned, his eyes searching for his fireteam and found Evan rolling behind a boulder whilst Lux had managed to slip behind a large Fallen structure. The titan produced his own grenades but paused as a dreg snuck up on him. He ducked as the dreg swiped at him with a dagger and sent a painful punch in the dreg's stomach. The Fallen screeched and stumbled as Riley mustered up some energy to kick him down and ends his life with a few bullets from his scout rifle.

"Here's the plan guys" Riley decided, clenching a grenade in his hands. "I'll flash them and we'll rush them together, deal?"

"Sounds like a plan" Lux agreed with Evan screaming an 'aye okay' in the background.

The trio pushed up, moving closer. Eventually they managed to find a good position and Riley tossed a flash grenade in the middle of the Devils. They screamed as a blinding light engulfed their senses and stumbled back, rubbing their eyes and ears.

"Let's go!" Evan cried with excitement as he proceeded to leap over a low platform and fired at every Fallen in sight. Both Lux and Riley were right behind him, spraying the area clean. A few Fallens had managed to regain their senses and were quick to bust a retreat. The two remaining barons were among them but managed to howl an insult to the Plagues and guardians in time before they fled through a connecting door. With the Devils cleared of the room, Riley whirled over to the Plagues who stood frozen in time.

The stealth vandals and any other lesser Fallen had paused from firing their weapons. Instead they slinked backwards into cover, daring only to simply watch them warily from their spot. Riley swallowed as the Kell of Plagues took their immobile disposition to address the guardians. She stepped out slowly, her blades sparking with arc light. Behind her, a dozen guns and weapons were prepped to fire. Riley swallowed nervously but held his ground as he lowered his weapon, behind him, he could feel Lux and Evan's guns raised in ready as well.

"You do not shoot us?" the Kell said in surprising fluent English. The trio exchanged looks, their suspicions confirmed with just that single sentence. "You should have not come, guardians."

"Your English is near perfect" Riley said, "why is that?"

For a moment the Kell said nothing, merely staring at them. She lowered her weapon but held it firmly as she pointed to the guardians.

"Your names, what are they?"

"Riley Kempfr, this is Evan Walker and Lux. And you?"

The Kell of Plagues narrowed her eyes at them and raised an empty fist up, calling the remaining members of her house to attention. Instantly they all snapped up, standing out of cover. The guardians were quick to take aim but no one had fired their weapons first. Instead the Plagues simply turned on their heels and left the room in large numbers all at once. The Kell too was slowly stepping back, her eyes trained on them. She did so until the room was empty of all her kin as Riley lowered his gun and stepped forward.

"Wait!"

"Guardians, I am Aviris, Kell to the House of Plagues" growled the Kell a final time before she blinked out of the room, the doors slamming shut behind her.

"Should we not follow her?" Lux inquired but the titan shook his head. He felt if he had pursued her, they would attack back which would only create more conflicts between the two. Perhaps if he tried another time, searched for her house in the wild—he'd be granted an audience. For now, they had to report back and Riley was more than exhausted for the day. Minutes later, Pahanin returned to their company and was a little confused as to why the room was empty of life.

The trio explained everything they had discovered and Pahanin decided to call this mission over and get back to the Tower as soon as possible.

* * *

It was raining on Venus by the time SERP had landed his jumpship and met up with the two fellow guardians. A titan and warlock were there already waiting for him with their guns smoking. At their feet lay the Fallen, blood and empty shell casings. The pair seemed to have been attacked but have dealt with the task easily as they indulged in some idle chatter. SERP quickly joined them and they broke away from their conversation almost immediately to greet him.

The female warlock, named Emma greeted him with an enthusiastic giggle and wave. Whilst the female titan, called Jenn merely nodded his way. The pair explained that they had been to the area they were sent into before but didn't get very far. The mission was simple, explore a new terrain in a Deadzone, locate the Golden Age technology that was supposedly found in its depths and get it back to the Tower. The warlock was first to lead, explaining that a pair of hunters had been here before but only one made it back.

She shook her head, sadly at the thought, "a shame really. Only one had come back and with nothing to show for but words."

SERP on the other hand thought the hunter to be lucky, "he did his part and that much we should be grateful for."

"Right, of course" laughed Emma as she pulled back a large leaf to pass through some trees. "He deserves that much I guess…"

"You guess?"

Emma shrugged, gliding down a set of rocks to a small ledge. She watched as Jenn followed after her wordlessly before SERP joined them at the bottom. Beside him, he could see a small waterfall cascading down the edge into a small pool of water. Below, temperatures had dropped and a chilling mist had been forged. SERP could hardly see the bottom of the slopes but managed to make out an ancient ruin structure in the distance.

"Well he didn't exactly retrieve the Golden Age technology, did he? Nor was he able to get his partner's ghost back."

SERP was unsure where this conversation was going as he trailed behind the pair. He had seen and worked with several other guardians before but rarely had he encountered one that didn't seem all 'supportive' of others' plight to aid the traveller. Had they just simply grown tired of disappointments? Deciding to not press the matter, SERP allowed Emma to vent her displeasure. She however stopped at just that and decided to just get the mission over and done with. She stepped down, stepping into a puddle of icy water and scanned her surroundings.

"The mist has grown stronger here" Jenn said as she landed by Emma. "Best be wary, titan, we're in unknown territory."

Emma giggled and checked over her gloves before producing her own scout rifle and slipping in a new magazine. SERP prepared his own weapon but watched the pair debate which path they should take. They suggested two different roads to get to their destination and declared both were shortcuts but SERP was sure that the Speaker had listed only one route in the report. With a frown, he decided to follow the pair, taking faith that they knew where they were going. The path they decided on was through a series of trees before opening up to an aging cluster of ruins. The very same he had seen in the distance.

Emma was in charge once again, trekking through the wet jungles of Venus without a care. She was followed by SERP and then finally Jenn holding their sixes. The trio arrived with little difficulties in what appears to be an old temple of moss covered pillars and structures half destroyed. The building was triangular in shape possibly built by human's hands at one time. Inside they discovered the remains of aging abandoned Vex technology which SERP believed the Vex used at one point after they invaded Venus.

"You know…" Emma was saying as she walked through the ruins without a care. "When we said we've been here before, a lot has changed since then…"

"Like what?" SERP inquired as he brushed some vines away from an old stone tablet with ancient texts. A part of the tablet had been broken down making it impossible for anyone to decrypt its contents. SERP wondered how many more ancient structures likes these had faded out of existence over time.

"Well for one, this place was filled with plenty of enemies for a Deadzone…"

SERP watched as Emma kicked an empty container and lifted the top off with her boot. She sighed when she found nothing of value inside and casted her eyes to what SERP was doing.

"They've probably moved to another location."

Emma nodded slowly, "or they were shot down."

"How long ago was this?"

Emma smirked and cocked her head to one side, deep in thought. Behind him, SERP could hear Jenn's boots clicking against the stone floors. Then he heard it, a click of a gun prepped for fire. SERP turned, seeing the barrel of a Pulse Rifle locked onto him. Instinctively he raised his own gun up, meeting eyes with Jenn regardless of confusion blossoming in his processors. What was she doing aiming a weapon at her own fireteam member?

"Probably about two years ago?" Emma said as she too raised her own gun. Trapped between the two guardians, SERP darted his eyes back and forth between the two.

"What are you doing? Stand down, Jenn, Emma!" he cried.

Emma rolled her eyes, "name's not Emma."

"Nor am I Jenn" replied the female titan finally.

SERP blinked his optics, confused. Who were they if they weren't Jenn and Emma? Where were the guardians he was supposed to meet up with originally unless…

A dark thought curled in the Exo's mind as he gripped his gun tightly. The haunting words from the Speaker surfaced to mind and he realised that the pair of guardians here was probably a part of something sinister.

They were traitors.

* * *

**A/N: so what's your thoughts on how things end for SERP, hmmm?**

**The PIZZ4 GUY –** Haha HOP? Oh man that sounds so weird. Thanks, Evan is such a blast to write! Loving him myself haha. Yeah, had a feeling females might not play as big a role in Destiny but we can only hope! Thanks so much for all the information, theories and such you continue to provide me! Knowing you, you've probably enjoyed this chapter quite a bit as well! Haha!

**Bladed Raptor –** Still have yet to some good armour yet but eventually! I'm finally a level 33 now, because of earning that Etheric light finally! I know what you mean, take Omnigul for instance. Man, I love her screams for some reason. So good. Aviris has swooned my own heart as well, I mean damn, originally I was just going to kill her off but then she grew on me and…I couldn't do it. Haha!

**Jack Barrington – **Thanks for the review! Haha glad you enjoyed this chapter but I'm afraid I've closed OCs for now. I think I've tackled enough OCs!


	11. X - Clandestine

**A/N: I'm late. Deeply sorry. Things have been rough and I'm afraid I can only post whenever I can. So chapters will be slow…very slow. Did you guys see the new trailers for the DLC? Those subclasses and NEW locations! Oh man, oh man, _I need it. _**

**Hope you guys enough this chapter even though I'm a bit iffy about it...**

* * *

_**Circle of War**  
__"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"  
_

**CHAPTER TEN- **_**Clandestine**_**.**

As soon as they had returned to the tower, Pahanin had wanted to report their findings to the Vanguard immediately. He practically dragged the entire four teams who were part of the operation in order to get each of their accounts of what had happened. During that span, the Vanguards were quite astounded with what they had heard mainly regarding the House of Plague's activities. Ikora was sure that no evidence of a guardian's previous interactions with any house of Fallen had been documented which only led to their confusion. Something was strange and the vanguards grew increasingly curious of the Fallen house.

After that, they deliberated on Bradley's action and Commander Zavala soon charged him with an appropriate punishment for his reckless behaviour that had inflicted harm upon another guardian. Khallis, who was fit enough to attend the meeting hardly spoke a word, nor did she meet anyone's eyes. Lost in her own thoughts, Riley pitied the warlock for the painful events that had happened to her. Bradley's actions were atrocious and he would have been branded a traitor if Pahanin hadn't forgiven him.

Two hours later, the fireteam were finally allowed to leave and Riley's team was more than eager to collapse into a soft bed. Riley sighed deeply as he rolled his tired shoulders and sluggishly dragged his feet across the Hall of Vanguards. Beside him, both Lux and Evan were due for some much needed rest as well and groaned silently to themselves as they too, trailed after the titan. The group reached the top and inhaled the crisp cold air. Winter was a few days away and already the first signs of it had reached their city.

Hunger and sleep fought his aching body and he was more than ready to quench both his needs. Deciding to acquire some dinner first, he also wanted to check to see if SERP had left him a message. Before he would retire for his bed, Riley's first agenda was the local bar.

"Whoa there, nelly!" Evan said gripping his shoulder and pulling him back a step.

Riley stumbled back, barely catching himself as he threw a glare at the hunter. The male hunter smirked, gripping his helmet in one arm and squeezing his shoulder.

"Where are you off to?"

"Food" Riley murmured and Lux's eyes perked up.

Evan's smiled grew as he leaned against the titan's shoulder, waving a finger at him, "where's our invite? We're starving as well."

Riley pulled away from the hunter and dusted his shoulder as if the hunter was infested with germs or something. He apologised quickly then turned to Lux, offering a hand her way. "Sorry about that, would you join me for dinner …Lux?"

Evan was devastated as the female hunter chuckled and nodded her head, taking on his invitation. He waited and the pair exchanged final looks before turning on their heels and quickly walked away. The hunter beamed at them, screaming.

"Whoa, hey now! You seriously can't exclude me from this date! That's so unfair!" he cried after them as the pair broke into light laughter. Along the way they managed to pick up Khallis who was staring off into the distance. Lux invited the warlock who hesitated at first but eventually agreed with Evan's lively encouragement.

The local bar that SERP had first taken Riley to was more quiet than usual. It wasn't as packed as the last couple of days and there were more new faces that Riley could see. He paused, nodding his head to the Frame working up a storm for a customer's order. Once he finished up rather quickly, he was quick to take the group's orders before allowing Riley access to the VIP room under SERP's name. Riley directed the trio to a second level in the bar and into a certain door that had a nice clean view of the floor below. There even was a dance floor off to one side as some jazzy club music echoed across the bar. A large table sat in the middle with some comfy seats that Evan dived into, laughed wickedly like a pleased child. Lux shook her head, scoffing at his immaturity before finding her own end of the seat with Khallis. Riley was quick to follow, a little disappointed that SERP wasn't the first to be here. Perhaps he had yet to arrive?

Orion was quick to run a check if any private messages had been left in his inbox but sadly there were none.

"This is nice! Never knew this bar had VIP rooms" Evan said gripping his chair and lifting himself up to look over the balcony. Lux pulled him down and he stuck his bottom lip out like a child.

Riley laughed, "Only those with memberships can. This was hired by SERP."

"SERP must be smoking rich then."

Riley nodded his head slowly, not really sure if such a fact was true. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't really asked the Exo where all his riches were from. Every step of his guardian career, SERP was rather kind enough to cover his expenses. If he needed a new ship, SERP found a way. For a moment, Riley wondered what he would have done if SERP wasn't there when he had awoken. What his future would have been like if he had never met the Exo. It was bleak and something dark that Riley couldn't really picture.

He sighed, watching as Lux and Evan got into a heated argument over something Evan had done whilst Khallis attempted to contain her laughter with a hand.

He sighed with a slight smile and reached out, grabbing their attention and tried to smooth things over.

* * *

Dredgen Yor watched from his vantage point as hot violent flames consumed another small settlement. The flames licked the small shabby houses one by one, spreading like a disease at an astonishing rate. In the distant, Dredgen could hear the villager's screams echoed with agonizing pain of great loss. A smirk graced his lips as he climbed to a stand, deciding to leave the burning inferno to its job whilst he had other places to be.

"Dredgen Yor…"

The hunter turned to the source of the sound and spotted in the shade of darkness, a lone figure. The figure's armour was coated in all black with cracks of neon red highlights here and there. His helmet remained on but under it, Dredgen knew the face behind it to be that of a young ex-guardian. The hunter smirked and slipped his helmet back on as he advanced on the young man.

"Akvar sent a message."

"Oh? What did he want?" answered Dredgen as he passed him without a second glance. He was climbing the slope some more as the young man quickly fell into steps.

"To come to Venus."

The hunter paused and finally locked eyes with the young man. The pair stood frozen for a while, merely staring at each other as time passed. Dredgen grimaced. He was deeply displeased that after months of inactivity, the warlock Akvar had finally decided to contact them.

He came to them, proclaimed to have a way to attack the city, filled them with confidence and then just disappeared without a word. Now he had the audacity to just call upon them like some sort of dog. Not only that, to Venus of all places. Dredgen knew Akvar had a thing with the Vex but the Hive never travelled to Venus, nor did he. With an irritated groan, the hunter pressed on, his hands clenched into a tight fist. He better have a good reason to call him there.

"Should I come?" the young man said, dashing after him. Dredgen wondered if the young follower was up for a new challenge. It wasn't long before he had joined the Hive's ranks but he had displayed some promise and was quickly winning the favour of many of the wizards, Xyor included. After the entire ordeal and much to Dredgen's displeasure, he was partnered up with him. It wasn't that he shunned the boy but was rather used to the fact that the hunter worked alone. Not in groups, holding hands together like some sort of girl's scouts.

"Might as well" grumbled Dredgen.

The young follower nodded his head and quickened his pace so that they were side by side as they climbed the slope. Once on top, Dredgen held up a fist and watched as a crack through the atmosphere formed in the skies. The sound was music to his ears as a dark swirling green vortex seeped out of the cracks. A grating sound sung in their ears as the head of a pitch black ship slithered out revealing the famed Hive's massive Tombship. The ship turned and slowly descended upon the two until it was directly above them.

In silence, the pair waited until a warm orange glow shone over them before they were transported inside the ship, ready for take-off.

* * *

The location that Dredgen Yor and his partner had arrived at was heavily in Vex territory. However when they had touched ground, a slam platoon of Vex were there to greet him. Since Akvar had first sent the Vex to attack him on the Moon as a test of his might, the hunter held little faith that the same occurrence would happen again. However this time, the Vex remained idle and almost bowed to his might.

"Is it Akvar's?" inquired his partner.

Dredgen shrugged at first but knew deep down that of course it could only belong to the Vex worshipper. The Vex made several noises, mostly signalling each other before turning on their heels and stomping through the dense jungle of Venus. Dredgen wondered if they were their guide and quickly followed after them. The group, consisting entirely of goblins met up with a lone Minotaur who greeted the pair of ex-guardians with a slight nod of its robotic head. Three goblins dispersed and the Minotaur took charge of the rest of them. The Minotaur resumed the march deeper into the forest.

For a long while the group wondered on without a word, mindlessly following the Vex who was leading them into deeper terrain. The air around them eventually grew thicker and their travels led them lower towards the cold misty parts of Venus. Eventually the Vex's formation had to change and they huddled closer to the ex-guardians in order to keep a safer eye on them. Dredgen frowned but realised the action was due to the heavy mist enveloping the area and made it impossible to see in front of them. Of course Akvar would have chosen a near impossible place for guardians to walk through.

Ten more minutes in their walk and the pair eventually had begun noticing the sudden changes of the forest around them. The chirps of birds were no more and they hadn't seen a wild mammal in a long while. The air was crispy cold, dark and the plants around them had turned almost pure white. White trees hung low over their heads as several plants bloomed in grey and white leaves and petals. Dredgen had never seen such a sight as his partner openly expressed their awe.

The Vex, familiar with the area pressed on as all sounds of life were gone from their ears. Was this a dead forest without sound? Without life and was only guarded by the Vex?

Dredgen couldn't help but find everything interesting and wondered what sort of place Akvar had claimed his home to be.

Time stretched on and the fog grew thicker, hindering the guardians' sights as they uneasily tailed after the Vex. Somehow, two Harpies had joined them and remained at the end of their group, sandwiching the guardians between a wall of Vex. A red light blinked on and off in the distance signalling that they were coming close to their destination as the Vex quickened their pace. The pale green grass covered in a thin layer of ice under them had turned into stone after and they were wondering onto concrete. Stone pillars infused with Vex technology opened up as the mist cleared enough for them to see. Ahead of them a long bridge built by Vex hands tunnelled its way into the side of a tall mountain. A large Vex Cyclops crackled to life, blinking its one eye at the guardians who crossed its territory.

Dredgen met eyes with the guardian who held their gaze cautiously. Passing the Cyclops unharmed, the Minotaur dismissed most of the goblins leaving only two Harpies tailing after them. Inside the mountain, the entire hallway was excavated revealing a high ceiling coupled with Vex lights and machines. The Minotaur soon stopped as Dredgen noted several transfer Gates lingering around against the many walls of the hall.

A moment later, Akvar appeared through one of the gates unfazed with three Harpies at his side. "Good, you made it."

Dredgen Yor folded his arms over his chest, eyeing the warlock as he approached them, "you said you needed to see us?"

"Us?" Akvar said and finally noted the young guardian at his side.

"Hayden, sir" replied Dredgen's partner with a curt nod of his head.

A smile graced the warlock's lips and he waved the Vex away. The guardian's escorts were quick to exit the room as Akvar motioned the pair to follow him. "When did that happen?"

"Not long" Dredgen replied a little annoyed Akvar had evaded his question. "Again, why did you call us?"

"Are we not working together?" the warlock sighed as he activated a Vex elevator.

Dredgen grunted in reply and Akvar chuckled.

The machine sprung to light in an instant to his touch and Akvar indicated for them to step in first. The pair obliged without much difficulty as Akvar played with the activator to set their coordinates. In an instant they were thrown upwards into the air passing many levels before reaching the very top. When they landed, the room was large and contained many Vex standing to attention. However these Vex were dormant and did not move to their appearance. Akvar beckoned the two to follow as he pressed on in the dimly lit hallway.

As a large stone door split open to another large room adored with even more Vex related gizmos, Akvar turned his attention to the centre of the room. Two guardians were standing by conversing with one another as they inspected a mechanical machine in the room. As Akvar approached, they stood nodding their heads to him.

"Dredgen, Hayden, meet Adelia and Tetra Klemnor" Akvar introduced. The female warlock, Adelia waved her hands enthusiastically at them whilst the female titan merely nodded her head. Hayden returned the wave whilst Dredgen remained still and stiff. The female guardians were awoken twins and both were almost polar opposites of each other. It was easy to tell that the warlock was more graceful and feminine in appearance with her pale brown eyes and her styled braided hair wrapped into a bun whilst the titan was more tomboyish. Short cut green hair with intense piecing hard brown eyes.

Dredgen sighed deeply still waiting on Akvar to explain why he had been summoned until his eyes was drawn to the object at his feet. Instantly recognition graced the hunter's face and his disposition crumbled.

"…SERP?"

"Who?" Adelia said before following his gaze to the robot by her feet.

Dredgen knew the Exo to be a valiant titan who accomplished many great feats. He was strong, kind and worked dutifully. Now he was simply reduced to a heap of broken metal. Bullets punctured his chest and his mechanical arm was torn from him, lying beside his broken corpse. His helmet was violently ripped off and cracked, probably lost beyond repair now. It was an odd scene for the hunter, to witness two guardians triumph over someone as capable as SERP-27.

"He was part of the scouting team we dealt with" Tetra explained snapping Dredgen out of his daydream as Akvar nodded his head slowly.

"What happened?" Dredgen questioned and Akvar laughed.

"Since I left the Moon months ago, a lot has transpired on Venus. A team had been sent into the Vault of Glass and I was summoned to assist in destroying the guardians there. I met Tetra and Adelia not long after establishing this location as a base of operations" Akvar clarified as he pointed to have SERP moved to a stone table against the wall. The twins were quick to act, gripping the downed Exo and hauled his body along. Once on the table, Akvar removed his helmet and summoned his Ghost Sigma, who went to work scanning his body.

"After that, we've had a few pests poking around and I've been busy tending to them" Akvar chuckled grabbing a screwdriver and worked to breaking into SERP's skull. The twins smirked and declared they were going to do a bit of hunting as the warlock dismiss them. Dredgen remained where he was as Hayden stepped closer to inspect the Exo. By now Sigma had finished his scanning and was quickly moving to the spot Akvar had cracked open.

"And SERP was one of those scouts? What happened to his Ghost then?"

"Adelia destroyed it, so I'm told" The warlock said as he paused from his work, holding a piece of metal plating he had stripped from SERP's head. He set the metal sheet down and caught Dredgen Yor's gaze. "How do you know him?"

"Met him a few times in the Crucible and on missions. Doubt anyone old enough didn't know him" Dredgen said with a shrug.

Akvar laughed at this and nodded his head, "respectable guy. Too bad the vanguards set him on an unfortunate mission. SERP just happened to be in the wrong place, wrong time when I needed an Exo to dismantle."

Now Dredgen was curious as to why the warlock needed an Exo in their grand schemes. Akvar worked to disassemble the remaining pieces of SERP's skull until he found the juicy wiring under all the protective metal. He probed around, his fingers fishing around the gaps. After a while the warlock pulled away and Sigma was scanning SERP's skull.

"What are you doing?" Dredgen inquired, a little impatient.

Akvar smirked wickedly at him like a devious child who held a tantalizing secret. Even his two toned eyes glowed devious with his wide smirk. The warlock said nothing and merely waited until his Ghost made a few 'beeping' sounds and activated something within. Sigma shone its light across a plain stone wall and painted several images from them. It was almost like an old fashion movie projection and the images were flickering from one thing to the next. The images eventually formed into a silent motion picture but the images were blurred and it was hard to tell what each of the flickering photos were until Sigma adjusted himself.

The silent movie was soon accompanied with sound and the first thing the group heard was the whistle of birds as the camera focused on the view of the city from the Tower. It was nolstagic seeing the vivid scene of the tiny city below the mighty guardian's Tower.

"What's…this?"

"Memories, specifically SERP's."

"His memories? You can do that now?"

Akvar nodded his head slowly as he watched SERP tear his eyes away from the view and was now staring intently at the world progressing in the tower. Various guardians walked by, submerged in their own little worlds as a few lingered here and there, preparing or reporting for a mission. A few stood conversing with vendors whilst others negotiated deals with the gunsmith. It seemed like a normal day at the tower with the sun at its peak high in the sky and SERP was casually on standby, enjoying the view.

"He's a machine" said the warlock as he commanded Sigma to fast forward to a point of interest in SERP's memory banks. "It's not that hard to hack into an Exo."

"Then what are you trying to accomplish, searching in the memory of a dead thing?"

Akvar laughed, inhaling deeply as he watched more than a dozen memories skim by, "what I'm searching for is a snippet of the _truth_."

"The truth?" asked a curious Hayden who had finally spoken up. Dredgen eyed the young man, forgetting for a moment that he had not come alone and shook his head. This _Truth_ that Akvar seemed so captivated by was a topic that had eluded him for a months. He attempted to pry an answer from Xyor but the Wizard refused to speak about it.

"Thought you already knew it" Dredgen said. The warlock rolled his eyes and turned back to Sigma whom had finally located a point of interest in SERP's memory.

"Some things don't add up from what I've been told" He simply replied and watched as SERP greet the three vanguards in the Hall of Guardians. Dredgen said nothing more on the topic, watching as idle chatter were exchanged between the four guardians.

"_How fairs the training, mentor?" Cayde-6 queried. SERP exhaled deeply and ran a hand over his forehead as if swiping away sweat. He had just recently come back from an intense session of practicing hand to hand combat with his student._

"_He's developing at an exponential rate."_

"_Is that not a good thing?" Ikora asked as she set down the book she had been reading and marked the page with a red bookmark. Her sharp eyes locked with the Exo who nodded his head slowly at her._

"_Yes, I'm glad he is a fast learner but there is something else." The Exo titan was unsure of how to convey his words across to the vanguards without sounding paranoid. He sighed, shrugging his shoulders and opted for the best response his mind could conjure up. "His Light, it's different from others I have trained. Though his appears in control, it seems there's too much aggression in his Light as if he's…"_

"—_Ready to explode?" Ikora said earning a surprised nod from the Exo._

"_Yes, like he's consumed too much Light."_

"_A gathering of too much Light, is that possible in a guardian?" Cayde inquired._

_Ikora nodded her head earning a confused stare from the three guardians within the room. She sighed, her arms folded across her chest as she leaned heavily on one leg. "Yes, but the details have never…formally been documented."_

"_What are you saying?" Commander Zavala said sternly._

"_There was a Titan who very much was the same" Ikora said. "His Light was so bright and full that occasionally it ran rampant. Once or twice his Light would harm those around him. It took a big hit to his sanity and he eventually disappeared leaving a cryptic message."_

"_What was it?"_

_Ikora frowned and beckoned her silent Ghost to appear. The small white machine appeared at her side and she commanded it to pull up the very same note left behind by the Titan. It only took a few seconds before a projection of the message was painted along one of the walls of the room. All eyes were on the projection and it appeared in the form of messy words, carved out by a knife into a thick layer of stone. The site of the message was unknown but SERP suspected that it had once been in the tower somewhere. Whether it was still there or not was a mystery to him._

'My Light is weaved for _her_ intentions.  
I will be nothing as _she_ mirrors me.  
From ashes I was born and from whence I return.  
As my Will is my own, not_ hers.  
_NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.'

"_Are you suggesting that Riley would become very much the same as this Titan?" SERP asked worriedly._

"_I'm not certain but in order for history to not repeat itself, SERP you will need to keep an eye on him and report back to us should something surface."_

_The Exo frowned and nodded his head and the memory faded away._

* * *

Sigma groaned as the projection dissipated away.

The warlock grew wary and took a hold of his Ghost, inquiring what had happened as he inspected if there were any damages to the little machine. Apparently the connection to SERP had been lost somehow as if something or someone was interfering with the line. But Akvar knew that such a thing was impossible when it was only them within the room. Unsure of what had happen, the warlock decided to leave the issue for another time as he contemplated other pressing matters.

"Did you find your _truth_ from that?" Dredgen asked the warlock who snapped his head up as if startled he was still lingering around.

"No, but something even better. A guardian with immense light…Riley, was it?" muttered Akvar completely evading the question again as he begun pacing around. From SERP's memories, this was nothing connected to the piece of information he had been seeking but rather something else of interest to him. He mused over the thought, acquiring such immense light for his order. "There's something interesting about this. Dredgen, while I tend to this, I have another matter for you."

The hunter nodded his head, his arms folded over his chest. He had been waiting too long now and was more than ready to dig his Thorn into more souls.

"Your job is to exterminate a guardian named Pahanin Errata and retrieve the weapon he has invested his time on."

* * *

**Countess of Monleigh -** indeed that jerk! Sorry if its short, she'll have more time to shine soon enough! Haha so, SERP's future huh. Doesn't seem good, huh?

**Bladed Raptor - **Yes! Time to get the baddies back into action. I'm happy I gave you enough inspiration! Aviris will play a big role, she'll have plenty of time to flesh out her part in this story, hopefully. How can one not love Omnigul?! This is madness! What's your prediction of the future so far?

**The PIZZ4 GUY -** The twins didn't get much spotlight in this chapter but soon! What's wrong with a female titan? They can hold their own, maybe? Yep, thanks for the ideas! Always very insightful and helpful! Aha! Still can't read my mind now, can you? Yes that misty ruins, exactly what it was. With a bit of redesigning of course. Thanks!

**Qwertyunion -** Oh so you _did_ wanted her to punch him? Should of did it then but I was afraid to break her character somehow with that one punch! Haha. Yep, I'm already thinking about how to play with Riley's emotions and such. The story is based on him being conflicted by two sides anyway!


	12. XI - Pessimistic affairs

**A/N: Enjoy this chapter guys. I feel bad for SERP now, so much love for the Exo. Ahh..**

**What do you think will happen next? Hm?**

* * *

_**Circle of War**  
__"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"  
_

**CHAPTER ELEVEN - **_**Pessimistic affairs**_**.**

Hayden wasn't satisfied with the outcome of things.

The hive affiliated hunter was left behind by his comrade Dredgen Yor in the company of Akvar who hadn't spoken a word to him after three days had passed. To which he was given a small room of his own to use. He was fed, allowed to wonder about and do as he please so long as it didn't piss anyone off. Hayden however found no enjoyment just aimlessly wandering around without a thing to do. He missed the Hive already and longed to be back with those closer to him. Here he felt out of place, just simply watching Akvar work in his workshop.

He knew not what had happened to the twins, Adelia and Tetra, but figured they were probably having more fun than he was at the moment. He sighed as the next memory was loaded up against the wall for everyone within the room to see.

Akvar didn't do much as time ticked by. He spent most of his days tinkering away with SERP's body and then just sitting back and watching a majority of SERP's memories. To which Hayden found no interest with. He stood, eyeing the warlock who grew more fascinated with each memory rolled out for him.

An hour of pure boredom passed and finally the stone doors to the workshop rumbled open with the appearance of the twins breaking the atmosphere.

"Akvar!" the female warlock, Adelia, cried as she entered the room. She ignored Hayden's presence completely and skipped over to where Akvar was standing.

Akvar tore his gaze away from his movie just as the memory finished abruptly. He eyed the contents in Adelia's hand and caught it easily when she hurled it at him. Inspecting the weapon, he noted the insignia of SERP's and a wicked grin graced his face. He nodded his head her way, gripping the auto rifle with ease and inspecting it for a bit.

"Don't know why you'd want his weapon for" Adelia uttered with a roll of her eyes. "Not even very good."

"His weapon is important" the warlock said and set the piece down on the table beside SERP's body. "Now that you are here, I have a special mission for all three of you."

Adelia perked up with interest but then frowned as she realised that she was going to be joining another ex-guardian on this mission. Her eyes immediately landed on Hayden who removed himself against the wall to join their circle.

"Oh, hive lover boy, still here?" Adelia giggled.

"Yes…" Hayden replied with a frown.

Adelia giggled again as Tetra rolled her eyes at her. Akvar ignored the remark and continued, "activities with the Fallen has increased as of late but with the disruption between the houses, nothing will ever get done."

"Are you instigating that we use the Fallen? I doubt they'll listen to anything we have to say."

Akvar nodded his head, "oh they won't. The House of Devils and Kings are too arrogant to even work with others. So instead, we'll use another tactic."

"And that is…?" Hayden questioned with great doubt for the entire plan. To use the House of Kings and Devils to do their bidding without speaking to them? How was that even possible? Or was Akvar planning to take control of the entire House? Such a thing couldn't be possible with their numbers even if they had the Vex and— "Wait, you're not thinking of using both the Vex and Hive to take control of the Houses of the Fallen?"

Akvar laughed, shaking his head deeply. "No, but that would have been an interesting idea. Instead I have another plan."

"Get to the point" Tetra said, expressing her impatience.

Akvar eyed the woman but said nothing of her mood and continued the conversation. "We'll fuel their hatred for the guardians. Attack one of the House of King's bases so much that it'll provoke an attack against the Last City."

"They'll accelerate their plans then…" Adelia said with a finger to her chin in thought. She smirked wickedly and giggled openly at how devious the plan was. Wreaking havoc was her favourite past time and to do so with the alien race of the Fallen? Now that was something that fascinated her. She's always wondered what the insides of the Fallen looked like and now she may get the chance to see up close. Besides her, Tetra caught on to her malicious intent and couldn't suppress a smirk of her own.

This was what they had been waiting for.

"Now that, we can do" Tetra voiced as Akvar nodded his head in satisfaction.

"Very well, head for Russia and make the Kings bleed."

* * *

Lux sprinted down the long hallway through the male's dormitory. She ignored the many guardians' confused looks, which lingered in the hallway and sped on to her destination. Skidding around the corner, Lux slammed straight into a hunter's back and the pair collapsed in a heap on the ground. Lux groaned as she shook the stars out of her eyes and crawled away from the tangled mess of bodies.

"Hold your horses man…" groaned a familiar voice and Lux snapped to attention. She climbed quickly to a stand and pulled the downed hunter up suddenly. "Whoa, hey, wait!"

"Evan!" Lux cried as he clumsily tried to regain his former balance. Getting his footing right, the male hunter locked eyes with the distressed female hunter and frowned.

"Pahanin told you too, huh?" he said and Lux nodded her head. Evan sighed and loosened out of the hunter's grip as he folded his arms over his chest. "Got the news this morning as well and went straight here to see if…uh…"

Lux glanced up to the number on top of the door and realised that it was Riley's own personal room. The door was closed and the female hunter had a nagging suspicion that it was locked as well. She frowned worriedly and pondered about the wellbeing of the titan inside the room. Had the news been broken to him yet? How was he dealing with it? Should she and Evan be there to support him?

"Pahanin is inside" Evan said with a nod of his head. "Been ten minutes already."

Lux frowned deeper and decided to wait. The pair stood there for what seemed like eternity until the steel doors finally unlocked and slide open. Pahanin's face was unreadable. He had bags under his eyes however as if he had been fighting sleep and his eyes were slightly red and puffy. The hunter regarded the two with a nod and shut the door behind him as he joined them.

"How is he?" Lux inquired.

Pahanin shook his head, "he's taking it hard. After I told him, he's not…well, all there."

"In shock" Evan figured and received a slow nod from the older hunter.

"Look, give him a moment before going in" Pahanin instructed and ran a hand over his face, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Support him, he'll need it."

"We'll do that."

"Good…I'll leave you to it then, guardians."

The hunter was about to leave until Lux reached out and gripped his arm, pulling him to a stop. "Sir, is it really true? Did they find his Ghost destroyed? Is SERP really…?"

Pahanin emotions were on the verge of spilling and Lux could see that in his eyes. But the older hunter had restrained himself well and offered a small painful smile her way. He nodded his head slowly and pulled his arm free, walking off with heavy shoulder to the elevators. Evan and Lux watched him go, unable to feel the gravity of emotions the man was feeling. They sighed, swallowing thickly as they eyed Riley's room. Even though they had not known each other for years, the group were dynamic and forged a deep friendship between each other that would have taken years for others. Lux had heard that SERP was almost like a father figure for Riley and the pair was together since the beginning of Riley's awakening.

Hearing news that he was gone now, his body and Ghost destroyed on a simple scouting mission…

That was hard.

Lux exhaled deeply and counted to ten before mustering up the courage to rattle her fist against the door. Evan was quiet and waited until the small monitor fastened to the side of the door was activated and Orion answered their call.

"Guardians? Is there something—"

"Open up" Evan said. "We need to see Riley."

Lux elbowed the hunter who frowned at her and rubbed his sore spot. Orion narrowed its eye at them but nodded their head and unlocked the door. It slid open and the pair entered into the room. Like any other room, Riley's was plain with only the necessities he required. His walls held no photos or pictures of landscapes or notes like Lux's room. His shelf covered with only a limited amount of books was infested with relics and trophies taken from adventures into the wild like Evan's. The bed was messy, unmade and the desk was untidy with books and papers scattered. Riley's helmet and armour was thrown haphazardly on the bed and the sounds of rushing water left on came from the connecting bathroom.

Riley was sitting on the ground as his eyes stared out the window. His head leaned against the wall, eyes staring vacantly out to the view of the waking city but never focusing on anything. Evan cringed and Lux went to shut the tap water off in the bathroom. When she returned, Evan had attempted to get the titan's attention.

"Uh, earth to Riley" Evan said stepping close and waving his hand in front of the titan's face. Riley's reaction was slow as he took his time to notice the hand and stare up at the grinning hunter.

"Evan…? Oh sorry, I didn't see…" Riley muttered as he climbed to a stand. Exhaustedly he rubbed his face and shook his head. "Do we have a …mission, is that why you're here?"

Lux frowned and shook her head as Orion hovered by. She didn't even see the Ghost until he crept up from the small kitchen to the right. "No, we came to see you…"

"Me?" Riley was surprised and scratched his head. "Oh uh, sorry you came at an odd time. I didn't even brush my teeth and…"

"No wonder your breath stinks" Evan said with a wide grin. Lux glared his way and the hunter regarded her with a serious look. It was only then that she realised Evan had decided to not press the grave matter at hand but lighten his already poor mood. She sighed, nodded her head in understanding as Riley fumbled around the room, trying to clean up a bit.

"Wait" he shot up, covering his mouth and stared at Evan with wide eyes. "Does it?"

"Yep, better clean up, titan. Did you even take a shower?"

"I…well I don't really…" Riley pressed a hand to his forehead, trying to remember what he had done as soon as he woke up. He was a routine type of man and wasn't at all pleased to break that routine. He vividly remembered hopping into the shower and nodded his head, slowly. "Yeah, I did. I just didn't brush up and eat…"

"Then we'll take you out to breakfast" Lux exclaimed.

"W—what?"

"Smashing idea, Holmes!" Evan cried as he turned for the door and gripped Lux by her shoulder. Lux shot him a glare and knocked her fist against his head lightly. He released her immediately and was shock she had actually laid a hand on him. "Ouch, Luxeen, that hurts."

"Oh, man up" she said with a roll of her eyes as Riley cracked a smile at them. The smile was forced and pitiful to see on the young titan. Lux couldn't help but swallowed a lump in her throat as she exhaled and placed her hands on her hips. She pointed at him just like how a motherly figure would do and was quick to hustle out a command, "go get ready, Riley. We'll wait for you outside then go grab Khallis to join us."

"I'll invite Ginevra then" Evan beamed as he quickly summoned his Ghost.

"Oh? I was under the impression that you didn't have any friends. Let alone a girlfriend, Evan" Lux said eyeing the other hunter.

Evan paled at her and quickly shook his head, "what? Who do you take me for? Of course I have some and Ginevra is totally my …gal?"

"You don't sound so sure…" Riley laughed and Evan beamed at him, trying to persuade the titan otherwise.

Lux was quick to grab the hunter by the collar and drag him back with a slight glare. "Regardless, Riley needs to prepare himself. Come on, Evan."

"Yes ma'am…" grumbled Evan as he allowed himself to get dragged out the door.

Riley nodded his head and watched them leave. He sighed and turned for the bathroom as Orion glided down to his bed, resting upon it. Inside the bathroom, he spent a few minutes staring at his reflection and broke down. Tears forced their way through his eyes and his knees buckled as he crumbled to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Orion perked up with interest and zipped into the room but paused short, watching as the titan fall deeper into despair.

Sadly, Orion was unable to find the right words to smooth his aching heart so he retreated back to the bed, disappointed in himself.

Five minutes later, Riley gave a cry out and a blast of orangey yellow light shot out from the bathroom and dissipated in thin air. Orion gathered himself and fled to the bathroom to see Riley staring wide-eyed at his hands. Hot burning flames enveloped both his hands and he stared at Orion for an explanation.

"I-what do I do?!" he cried as the light increased, swallowing his arm up to his shoulders. A single small orb of energy gathered at the base of his hands and Riley winced as the heat increased. Panic bubbled in the titan's heart and he trembled with fear at the alien energy in his hands.

Orion was speechless. He had never seen such a light before and honestly could not answer Riley's question.

"Orion!" Riley cried as the light continued to creep up to his entire body.

"C-calm down Riley!" Orion managed, "you're panicking, you need to simmer down and control your light."

"I…" Riley nodded his head and closed his eyes. He could hear Lux and Evan calling out for him to open his door but ignored them. He was scared that this light would burn his entire room down but he trusted Orion. With a deep exhale, Riley closed his eyes and begun counting to 30 slowly. He inhaled and exhaled deeply as he felt the powerful Light gathered at the palm of his hands slowly diminish. By the time he reached 30, the Light had disappeared away and he was standing in his bathroom untouched by flames.

He exhaled deeply and gripped his hands into a fist. "Orion…what just happened?"

The little Ghost hovered closely to his hands, scanning it but was unable to find any traces of the foreign magic. "I do not know…"

"I've never felt such…a Light before" Riley said and sighed deeply. It was like a rollercoaster of emotion this morning and he was already running behind his routine.

"Perhaps the Vanguards will enlighten us?" Orion advised and Riley nodded his head. He decided that his Ghost's words were the best course of action to do. He'd needed to see the Vanguards as soon as possible then.

However for now, Riley would need to calm the two hunters pounding at his door before they broke it down out of sheer concern for his wellbeing.

* * *

The remains of Digits were laid out in front of an emotional Pahanin.

Pahanin remembered the last time he had seen a destroyed Ghost before but it wasn't of this level. It was almost like Digits had gone through some sort of metal grinder. Shards of him scattered all over the table and he was sure there were many other pieces unaccounted for. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. There was nothing among these pieces that could be used to explain what had transpired in Venus.

The scouts sent to Venus only discovered that the fireteam had met up at a rendezvous point and were attacked. SERP wasn't among the two killed on site there but instead when the scouts followed a trail into the dense Deadzone of Venus. They found remnants of a battled in some old ruins and the broken remains of Digits.

SERP was seemed to be cornered at the ruins and lost this battle but the scouts were unable to find his corpse anywhere. It was all puzzling.

"What has happened to you?" Pahanin thought aloud with a deep shake of his head.

"_Did the scouts not find any other clues?"_ a voice spoke at his side. Pahanin smiled and eyed the heavy weapon resting against the table at his side. His famed weapon he had been working on rattled with life and he scooped it up. Super Good Advice or SGA for short, was a master piece he had been working on for many months after a terrible incident. It was a machine gun with a functional AI core infused into the gun, giving it life and purpose. He had only recently managed to get SGA to speak but now it was quickly gaining fame across the entire tower. Inventors came to marvel at his work, others theorized that other weapons could do the same. He had heard many inventors praise him for his hard work and declare that his act would bring them closer to another Golden Age.

But honestly the sole purpose of the weapon was to accompany him into the wild. So that he did not feel lonesome like he did back then.

"This is strange. The reports states SERP had diverged from the assigned path and met his end in some ruins. But I know SERP not to do something as reckless as that. If he was chased, I do not think he would be running deeper into a Deadzone" Pahanin pondered and his heavy machinegun vibrated in his hands.

"_Then he was lured by his attackers"_ his gun said.

Pahanin nodded his head and frowned, casting his eyes to Digits' remains. "Yes…that's the only plausible explanation."

"_Will you go to Venus?"_

"No" said the hunter as he clenched the weapon tightly in his hands. "I promised SERP to look after his apprentice in his place should something happen. So, I have a new duty now."

"_Very well, mentor"_ said the gun finally as Pahanin smiled down at the weapon.

"Wish me luck, Super Good Advice…"

* * *

**Guest –** Sorry but applications are closed as of now. Lorraine sounds interesting though!

**Bladed Raptor –** Thanks so much for understanding and the kind words as always, friend! Yep, gathering up all the corrupted guardians to do some evil deeds! Though this chapter was lacking in action, they'll get to wreak havoc soon enough! I know I'll have plenty of fun writing up something for our baddies.

**The PIZZ4 GUY – **How dare you call me a monster! But then again, killing SERP was cruel. Things had to be done, friend! You can't block me from PS4! I'm too fun to block, hmph! Previous chapter left you with plenty of questions, huh? Well hopefully there'll be more this chapter but I won't spill the beans for you.

**Countess of Monleigh –** oh yeah, Pahanin is too soft but don't worry. Bradley wouldn't be getting back on the field any time soon. Commander Zavala has seen to his punishment and it's not something 'fun'. Well, I'd like to include Khallis in more so she'll get what she deserves. In time! Haha, sorry, SERP had to go in order to get that character development in and more action into the story. Thanks again!


	13. XII - Breadcrumb trails

**A/N: Hello, hello guys!**

**It's been a while hasn't it? Apologises that this chapter took longer than expected. I've been a very busy person as well as writer's block began kicking my butt most of the time. I'm slowly getting out of it now! On a side note, I made this chapter slighter longer for you guys. Also a fair warning, there's a bit of language and some well, dark parts at the end of this chapter.**

**Other than that, enjoy guys!**

* * *

_**Circle of War**  
__"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"  
_

**CHAPTER ****TWELVE ****\- _Breadcrumb trails._**

Hayden knew not how his fellow companions functioned as a group. The sisters were two opposing sides with large differences to tactics, styles and personalities. Polar opposites of each other, Hayden watched as a volley of spiteful words was exchanged between the two heated awokens. Adelia had wanted to attack the compound belonging to the Kings head on but her sister thought a stealthy approach was best. With a deep sigh, the hive affiliated hunter wrapped his hands around his shoulders, shivering slightly at the pelt of snow cascading like rain from the cloudy skies. It was mid-winter in Russia, a time where temperatures plummeted drastically and the world turned to ice.

The trio had landed on the border of Russia and spent more than four hours negotiating through tough terrain. On numerous occasions they had stumbled into patrol units from the House of Devils but were quick to eliminate them. Now that they were drawing near and only had a few more miles to cover before meeting one of the first outposts baring the Kings' banners, the trio had decided to step to one side and discuss their next plan of action.

However, from the looks of things, Hayden was sure the girls spent more time tossing insults at each other than 'suggesting' a solid plan. He shook his head and sighed deeply. There was no way he would get in the middle of the two so he decided to leave them be. Breaking away from them unnoticed, Hayden climbed a slope of snow and narrowed his eyes at the frosty sight before him. Snow covered every inch of the place, obscuring the path and hiding mountains of wreckage under it. Beyond the horizon of snow top buildings and mountains, he could spot a single looming tower of metal and figured it to be the outpost they were heading for.

Hayden wondered if any of the Hive were near, knowing very well that some of the Hive units were stationed in Russia as well. However most of them would be planted deep below in the tunnels clawed by the Thralls. The hunter dropped to his knees and placed a hand against the cold snow. He wondered if they could hear him. Wondered if _she_ could hear him. It had been so long since he had seen his friend and lover; his wizard, Yizuel. He wondered if she missed him too? Wondered if she was waiting eagerly for his return?

When they departed from one another, he had said he'd return soon and was simply going with Dredgen Yor to see what Akvar's summoning was about. Now it was more than a few days and he knew she would worry. Gripping a handful of snow, Hayden eyed the hardened liquid in his hand and tightened his fingers around them, watching the flakes fall.

"I've heard enough!" came an agitated cry as the hunter turned to witness a fuming Adelia pace away from her sister and storm into the howling winds and snow. Where she was going was a mystery to him.

"Adelia!" Tetra snarled back, storming after her sister in an angry fit as well. She caught up to the warlock whose progression through the snow was slowed and gripped her shoulder tightly. The warlock spun on her and almost knocked her over with her fist as a swirl of channelled purple energy radiated from her fingertips.

Hayden dropped the remaining sum of snow in his hands and advanced on the pair as Tetra reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Are you seriously going to hit me?" Tetra growled.

"Won't be the first time I tried" spat her sister back as she twisted her wrist free and stepped back.

The twins faced off in angry cold glares as Hayden slowed his pace to them, a little concerned about jumping between them. Eventually he mustered up enough courage to slide between the two and direct their attention back onto their original topic.

"You two need to calm down" he said, earning the twin's fierce glares filled with razor sharp daggers. He shivered for a moment and hoped to dear god they wouldn't turn on him for his actions. "We have a mission to complete, why don't we concentrate on that?"

"And what do you suppose we do, Mr-I-fucking-know-everything?" Adelia snapped as she crossed her arms over her chest. Tetra mirrored her actions as well but remained quiet.

Hayden took a moment to exhale deeply once again. "Okay, why don't we get to the outpost, see what we're up against and then decide on how to progress, yeah?"

The twins said nothing for a long moment and Hayden wished he could see what expressions were hidden under their helmets. He waited for what felt like eternity before Adelia shrugged, rolling her eyes and nodded her head.

"Whatever, better than hearing Tits over there."

"Shut it" Tetra replied as she turned to beat a path through the hip high snow. Hayden sighed and decided to tail after her without much of a remark. A moment later he heard Adelia's boots crunching nosily against the snow and wondered exactly if the pair were 'emotionally' prepared for warfare.

Would it hinder their plans?

As his mind provided little to no answers for him, Hayden spent the entire time walking in an uncomfortable silence as he watched the scene around them change. The trio eventually scaled another large slope with a breathtaking view. Below them, they could see the small camp made of metal and stone walls layered with precautious armed Fallens. A single large building sat snuggly in the back and was heavily guarded by tall sheets of metal and iron walls. Two tall watch towers stood at each ends of these walls, manned by sharp shooting snipers prepped for battle. Below in the fields roamed the remaining patrol units of the Fallen. Three inactive Fallen Walkers were huddled to one side as Servitors hovered by, passing Dregs carrying ethers being distributed between other Fallens.

Hayden slumped back speechlessly. Attacking the compound might prove to be a bit harder than he had anticipated but it wasn't an impossible task.

"What's the plan?" Adelia asked with a flex of her finger. She stretched her tired muscles and quickly checked over her weapons as Hayden leaned heavily against the wall. His eyes continued to survey the compound, watching the Fallen handle orders and commands with ease from Captains and those alike.

"We should attack from within" Tetra stated.

Her sister glared her way and snorted. "I rather we reduced the place to ashes with rockets and explosions."

"And lose anything inside the base which could be of value for us?"

"Like what?" Adelia flared, storming in Tetra's face in an angry fit once again. "You expect these tit rags to just be holding valuable data for us to take? Get real."

Tetra said nothing of the remark but her body language was fuming. Hayden could feel the tension in the room thicken drastically and was quick to step between the pair once again. He inhaled, his hand ready to push both the girls back should they dive at each other with claws ready to kill. Who'd had thought two twins could be so hostile between each other. Were they even sisters to begin with?

"Wait just a moment" Hayden said, tackling the brute of their livid glares. "We're here to only stir up trouble as Akvar had commanded us to do."

"You'd risk losing any worthy data that may benefit us?" Tetra growled.

Hayden felt a shiver climb up his spine and fought with the urges to back down but a part of him believed that Yizuel would have his head for showing any weaknesses. So he swallowed his nerves and trusted his judgements and defended his opinions.

"There is no time to stop and dig through the Fallen's databases. We're to launch an attack against the Kings and we're already pressed for time" he said as he watched the female titan's posture ease back slightly. Was she finally seeing their way? "Akvar would expect efficiency for our mission. I'm sure there'll be other ways of gathering Fallen Intel other than here."

"Do you really believe that?"

Hayden nodded. Besides, who in their right mind would stash valuable data at a base used to defend their borders from their enemies? "One hundred precent."

Tetra snorted and shook her head, her anger dropping rapidly. "Fine, we'll go with Adelia's plan. An all-out frontal attack."

"Actually, I was thinking we'd hit their watch towers first before storming in with style" giggled the female warlock.

A smile graced Hayden's face as he nodded his head and watched the sisters bounce ideas about. It relieved his mind to know the sisters were now settling matters in a calmer degree. With a final glance to the peaceful outpost, Hayden couldn't help but smirk wickedly at the idea of finally digging his talons into his first victim.

Finally, the time to stretch his fingers had come.

* * *

Ikora's private library was a small sanctuary filled with warmth and extensive knowledge collected from all parts of the world. Shelves stacked high to the ceiling with timeless books dating as far back to the Golden Age and beyond sat neatly in alphabetical order. A large old mahogany desk that had seen better days was situated in the middle of the room where comfy red sofas, a burning fireplace and a large fur white rug tucked under it. The warlock vanguard was busy leaning back in her leather black seat as she studied a large hardcover book in hand. The contents Riley knew not of as he rattled his knuckles against the hard walls of her sector.

Immediately her eyes landed on his and she set the book down, climbing to a stand and waving him in wordlessly. Riley quickly crossed the room and was offered a seat in one of the many sofas pulled up to her desk. Riley said nothing as he took a seat opposite of her with his full attention drawn to the table in front of him. Ikora frowned and cleared her throat, making him flinch slightly.

"Is something troubling you?" she asked but knew very well why he had come. She presumed the shocking news about SERP-27's death had led him here and that he sought comfort and knowledge in her presence. However Ikora wasn't sure how she would deal with the delicate subject. She regarded SERP as a talented guardian whose devotion could not be questioned. He was a dependable friend who held many outstanding merits and achieved more than most guardians could do in his time. It was evitable that he died but losing a guardian to humanity's ongoing struggles against the darkness wasn't new.

Sadly, this was reality and Ikora had learnt to deal with the pain of loss more impressively than most. This however, wasn't something she could convey to the conflicted titan before her as she sighed deeply. After a while, Riley grimaced and darted his eyes across the room to avoid her perceptive eyes.

"I have a few questions…" he mumbled softly.

"What would you need from me that Commander Zavala is unable to help you with?" she inquired. "Surely the vanguard to his assigned class would aid him more than a warlock?"

Riley paused but shook his head, finding that the only person who could help him was really the studious warlock before his eyes. Eventually he sat down and summoned his Ghost Orion who took in his surroundings with interest, particularly the many books that adored her walls.

"Orion, the video feed from this morning…" he instructed and his Ghost was quick to pull that up for the warlock to view. Moving images of this morning's events were played back for the warlock vanguard as she sat, her eyes glued to the recording Orion had kindly made. When the video was done, Ikora sat back into her chair deep in thought. Her expression remained unchanged but her eyes did glitter with familiarity for a second.

"Tell me, Riley. Is this the first time this has occurred?"

Riley nodded his head.

"Were there no other instances where, say, you've released too much light without intending to?" she asked again and earning a confused tilt of his head.

"What do you mean?"

"For example, channelling Arc light to strike with your fist. Has there been a case where too much force was applied and your target almost disintegrated? Or perhaps you felt a build-up of too much light that you've had to release it at some point?"

A shake of his head caused the warlock's frown to deepen and she stood up. Walking up to one of her bookshelves, she traced her finger against several spines of neatly stacked books before prying one free. Quickly she flipped through the contents, checking if everything was in order then offered the book to him. Riley stared at it quizzically and hesitantly accepted the book. The book's once green cover was faded and stained with something brown. There were no words or a title on the front but in the centre of it was an odd faded emblem he had not seen before. The lines were jagged as if cut clumsily with something sharp. There were a few more scratches on the cover but most of it seemed irrelevant.

"What is…?" Riley queried as he lifted the book up to see that its side was barely holding on as scraps of unknown paper and among others things were sticking out of the pages. Seemed like some sort of scrapbook of sorts.

"Dixon Sheppard's journal. A titan demonstrated the same light as you did this morning, Riley" Ikora said taking a seat at her desk and pointing to the book in his hands. Riley blinked, not very familiar with the name. "Like you, he too has been through quite an ordeal. I asked him to document everything in this book when he came to me."

"Did it…does the book explain much?"

Ikora shook her head, "sadly his studies yielded little."

"Then there is no use for me to read it, is there?"

The warlock shook her head to disagree once again. "I like to think that his knowledge would have more uses for someone who is also facing the same adversities he had."

"But—"

"—What if I missed something? Something that only those dealing with the same problem as Dixon did, could see?"

"But that's just an assumption" retort Riley with a deep frown. "And I..I know nothing compared to you, ma'am."

"Riley, read the book. This is not a request" Ikora said finally in a tone that would have made any guardian wet themselves.

The young titan was left speechless as he stared down at the book in his hands. Though the book looked unimpressive and seen better days, he knew his mind was telling him to heed Ikora's words wisely. With a small nervous smile, Riley gave in and nodded his head as he stood up. Ikora knew what she was doing and though it was puzzling to him, she wanted to believe that any hope in Dixon's knowledge would help him discover more about the anomaly in him. Ikora was probably right. It was worth a shot at seeing what he or Orion could find.

"Um, thank you, ma'am" he said as he clenched the book carefully in his hands. "Uh, Dixon Sheppard was it? Whatever happened to him?"

Ikora's smiled was immediately gone and she sighed deeply and rested her forehead against one of her palms with closed eyes. "His sanity took a turn for the worst and he disappeared one day. I do not know if he still lives or not as that has been more than three years ago."

"T-three years?"

She nodded before pointing to the book in his hands once again. "Riley, I want you to report anything new about this and to also… keep this ordeal a secret between us."

"Is there a problem with—"

Ikora shook her head and lifted a finger to her lips, silencing the young titan any further from speaking. He blinked slowly, unsure of what to say or do as she forced another smile his way. Climbing to a stand, she waved her hands for him to leave but he remained in place, conflicted about her decision. Noting his hesitation, Ikora inhaled slowly and settled back into her seat with her hands firmly clenched in her lap.

"I have not been honest with the other vanguards about Dixon's case. As such, there will be a time I'll need to confront them and the Speaker about my discoveries however I believe when I've learned in detail about your issue…" she explained. "Then I'll formally discuss with them about it. For now, as little contact about your light and Dixon's journal, please."

Riley was unsure if this decision was for the best but eventually nodded in agreement. It was at that time that Cayde came barging through the doors uninvited.

"Ikora, I have something important to…" the Exo hunter paused in mid-step as he surveyed his surroundings. His eyes landed immediately on Riley who tucked Dixon's journal out of the hunter's view. "…Am I interrupting something?"

Ikora chuckled and shook her head as she stood, "Riley was just on his way now."

The titan nodded his head and bid Ikora farewell swiftly before making his way towards the door. Cayde reached out however and patted his shoulders, causing the titan to halt in his tracks.

"Riley, just a heads up. Pack your bags. You'll be heading out later tonight for another mission. I'll debrief you in four hours with your team." The Exo explained as Riley nodded his head. The Exo opened his mouth to say something but whatever he had in mind was never put to words. Instead the Exo hunter bid him farewell and Riley left wordlessly into the busy hallways of the Tower a little confused.

* * *

Captain Kahn was the type of fallen that many of his kin from the House of Kings would call, an outcast. Though he was devoted to their cause, he had an abnormal fascination for human technology that some would even call it an obsession. His obsession left many to doubt his loyalty so when a few other captains expressed their concern, the Barons decided to deal with Kahn in their own way.

At the end of a full cycle, Kahn along with a few others was shipped off to a remote location on the border of their territory. At first Kahn was excited for the prospect of experiencing a new environment than the boring stone walls of their caves or the skiffs and Ketches they resided in as a nomadic species. However the outpost wasn't how he'd thought it'd be. The outpost was deserted and hardly any guardians or the Hive came in proximity of the compound during their stay.

Many weeks were spent uneventful and most of his men had begun to slack off due to the dull times. Dregs spent many hours throwing rocks at shanks than patrolling the area, or vandals took far too many 'breaks' between their duties. Even the Servitors barely left their confinements unless to produce more ether for them.

As the days stretched to months of inactivity or word from the Ketch about other assigned missions, Kahn grew restless. He spent more hours indoors in his chamber, fiddling with the old abandoned machinery than getting his troops in order as they continued to do whatever they pleased.

So when the Fallen begun to get into frequent fights with one another that resulted in a fist fight that attracted more attention than a wizard's wails, Kahn begun ignoring the loud commotions. However today was different. It was cold and the snow had stopped the rowdy vandals or dregs from practicing their punches and kicks against each other in a makeshift circle in the middle of the compound. But there were many screams, loud and shrill. Not the usual chants of a Fallen's name or the pounding of fist against drums and other props. Kahn lifted his head and narrowed his eyes to the stained windows frosted over with ice from the low temperatures.

Removing himself from the wreckage of steel and metal, Kahn paddled forward towards the window and wiped at the fog to see beyond the thin layer of ice. What he saw were his troops running about in an odd screaming formation. Confused, Kahn returned on his heels but was unable to walk as an incredible powerful force punctured the wall behind him and hurled the captain forward against aging shelves and tables.

A pained growl escaped Kahn's lips as he groggily crawled out from under the rubble. The armour on his back had burned away to leave only the thin layer of cloth that covered his body as he choked back pained whimpers. Half the room was destroyed from the blow as remnants of the strange purple power lingered in the air. When it was finally gone, Kahn could feel the cold wind seeping in and the agonizing screams of the Fallen.

They were under attack and by the looks of it, by a group of strong individuals.

Eventually, the Fallen captain lost consciousness just as the perpetrator landed solidly in the room baring striking similarities of a warlock.

* * *

The female warlock Adelia landed swiftly to her feet within the rubble her powerful magic had created. Using her powers to blast a hole through the wall, the stench of Fallen odour was first to penetrate her nose and she gagged at the repulsive smell. It took her a moment to muster up enough willpower to proceed through the room without turning and vomiting as she surveyed the extensive damage she had done. Among the carnage, a lone Fallen captain was half buried in debris and blood.

"Ohhh" beamed the ex-guardian as she knelt down and gripped the melting armoured plates along the Fallen's back. Grinning wickedly, the guardian produced a knife and was about to plunge it into the soft tender skin of the Fallen until a small band of Fallen came bursting through the doors to her left. Immediately she stood up, her eyes hard and wary as she seized up her next batch of victims.

Four dregs and a single vandal entered hastily through before pointing and screaming insults in their tongue at her. Adelia frowned and pocketed the knife as she snorted at the supposed 'threat' they posed on her.

The Fallen soon opened fire at her and she dropped into cover behind a fallen pillar of stone. A rain of bullets pelted her location but honestly she was no worried about what little damage they could throw at her.

"Can't have my fun if you stinking lots are here" she grumbled as she whisked her scout rifle out. Checking that a new magazine was in, Adelia waited until the spray of bullets died down signalling that the Fallen were hastily slapping in a new round in their weapons. She took this chance to toss a vortex grenade their way before popping up and dropping the nearest Fallen head in sight.

Outside in the snow, a storm was picking up and waves of heavy snow showered against Tetra's head and shoulders as she jerked to her left and fired a volley of rounds into the nearest dreg. The poor Fallen was downed so easily that it did not have time to even scream as she instantly turned to her next target. Her fist powered with Arc light tore a vandal's jaw right off before she kicked its body away. She double tapped the vandal in the head with her gun before charging for another enemy. Her next victim received Tetra's brutish shoulder charge and was sent colliding into several other dregs and shanks.

Panting slightly, the female titan whipped around just in time to see a stealth vandal getting tackled to the ground and its neck snapped crudely by Hayden. Tetra felt her lips twitch into a smirk but it disappeared as she turned back to the battlefield. Rushing back into the fray, the titan kicked, punched and ripped limbs and lives from many Fallens.

Hayden turned and slammed the butt of his auto rifle into a Shank's body before spraying it dead. Above him he could faintly hear Adelia's wicked laughter as if she had found something amusing and resisted the urge to investigate what she was up to. With a grunt, he channelled energy into the palm of his hands and hurled a ball of deadly black mist towards a small group of Fallen taking cover. The black mist expanded and begun poisoning those within its path. He laughed deviously as he watched the dregs and vandals tried in vain to escape the deadly venom.

Eventually the hunter and titan had obliterated much of the Fallen's numbers that there were only a small sum left who were cowering in fear in one corner. Hayden advanced on the trembling young dregs and a lone shank with a sadistic smirk.

"Hey" Tetra called and patted the hunter's shoulders. "Deal with them quick, I'm going to see what Adelia is getting hyped over."

Hayden nodded his head and leaned forward as the dregs scrambled back. The lone Shank however dared to stand its ground and hovered forward to challenge Hayden. The hunter however was not impressed and instead decided that he would dismantle the mechanical machine with pleasure with his hunting knife.

Producing the weapon, he tossed it in the air twice before reaching out with lightning reflexes and slipping the knife between the joints of the shank. Less than a minute passed and the shank was demolished in front of the dregs' faces. They gawked in fear, almost pissing their underwear as he laughed contently at their reaction. He was going to have a lot of fun here and no one was going to stop him.

Upstairs, Tetra found Adelia brushing her bloodstained coat annoyed. At her feet several bodies of dead Fallen lay with bullets, bruises and limbs ripped to shreds. Tetra stepped over the bodies mercilessly as she checked over her sister to see if there were any wounds on her. Adelia noted her curious stares and rolled her eyes.

"I'm fine" she grumbled and removed her long coat. She discarded her coat, finding the piece of garment too dirty to wear any longer and went about to locate where her knife had gone to. As they traversed the room, the twins eventually spotted the injured captain against one side of the room, bleeding profusely from his wounds. Adelia laughed, remembering she had yet to finish of this specimen and was about to proceed to end its life until Tetra reached out and gripped her wrist.

"What?" she snarled, displeased her sister was actually stopping her.

"We need a survivor."

"Why?"

"To tell the Kings about what we had done" Hayden answered as he entered the room covered in filth and blood. He was wiping blood from his cheek as he inspected the room with satisfaction. Tetra nodded her head and Adelia sighed in displeasure but pulled away from the fallen captain.

"Fine, do whatever you want" she snorted and turned on her heels. "I'm going to stab something."

"No, stay here Adee" her sister grumbled and pointed to the downed captain. "I'll need your fire for this."

"What?"

"Just compile" the titan sighed and her sister merely crossed her arms over her chest in response.

Hayden watched Tetra cross over to the captain and inspect the intensity of its wounds. Eventually Tetra tugged at two of its smaller arms before glancing over her shoulders at the hunter.

"Hayden, hand me your hunting knife" she instructed and the hunter obliged without question.

"What are you going to do with—?"

Tetra ignored him completely and proceeded to implement her task. In one swift motion, she sliced one of the captain's arms. Though the captain was unconscious, she noted that his limbs twitched slightly with each cut she made through his skin. Eventually she cut so deep that she hit bone and had to lodge Hayden's hunting knife between the jolts of the two bones to cut the arm cleanly off. It was at this moment that the captain's eyes flew open and he began screaming. He thrashed about wildly that Tetra almost lost her grip on the knife. Quickly she ordered Hayden to aid her to pin the captain down and the pair worked to keep him still.

"Adee, your Solar magic" she grumbled pinning one side of the captain firmly. "Light a flame!"

Adelia grumbled some inaudible words but produced a fire at the palm of her hands to which Tetra then hurriedly told her to burn one point of a metal pipe at her side. The pipe was later used to close the open wound of the captain's amputated arm. All the while, the captain screamed and struggled violently against them but was unable to break free. Adelia torched the cut limbs with her magic and watched it turn into black ashes before her eyes. When the trio were finished, the captain had only one arm left and was left quivering in pain on the ground, barely holding on to his awareness.

Tetra stood up from her work and smirked widely at her masterpiece as both Hayden and Adelia agreed with silent nods of their own.

"Gather your ships, we're leaving" Tetra decided.

Adelia sighed contently and rolled her shoulders happily as she made her way towards the exits. She was beyond ready to leave this stinking place. Hayden was closely behind her but paused as the titan knelt down and gripped the captain by one of the horns on its helmet. The weakened Fallen tried to shift his head away but was unable to in her vice like grip.

She smirked at this and leaned closely to him, "you better tell the Kings to watch out. Us guardians will come for your heads—mount it on your pikes and use them to eradicate every last one of your kind."

The captain growled, attempting to form words in his tongue which she figured was an insult. She smirked smugly at his pitiful attempts and released him. Standing tall, she raised one of her boots and pressed down against his burned arm stump ferociously. The captain wailed in pain, squirming and attempted to break free from her.

She laughed openly at this. "Vermin."

With a final stomp, Tetra turned and left the whimpering pitiful captain to brace the vicious colds and its wounds.

* * *

**The PIZZ4 GUY – **Dear god, you're never gonna let me get away with getting rid of SERP, haha! 10/10, would watch you crash on mars and read at the same time anytime/day! And I enjoy writing Lux and Evan's interactions with each other all the time. They're so fab together with their conflicting personalities. Also, do you even English, bro?

**Bladed Raptor – **SERP will forever remain in our hearts and mind as we brave the frontiers in his place! Yeah, the corrupted guardians are a bit of an odd mix of characters. There's gonna be plenty of heated moments and such, seeing how everyone is so...well evil? It's just going to go more downhill if Riley doesn't get his emotions in tact!

**AceTheAbsol -** Wow, all in one sitting? Then again, the chapters are very long huh? Well I...um, forgive me? Allow me to mend your aching heart with sweets, please? Dx

**Countess of Monleigh –** Thanks a lot! Yeah, things aren't looking good for Riley, especially with his emotions on the run! How do you like the chapter, insightful somewhat? haha!


	14. XIII - Reverberations in the abyssal pt1

**A/N: Excited for the Taken King guys? Soon, so very soon!**

**On another note, I had to revise a bit of the plot for this story but I'm still not 100% sure about this chapter. Well, since it's been a long while, I've made this chapter somewhat longer for you guys as a thank you for the continued support you guys give me! **

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

_**Circle of War**  
__"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"  
_

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN ****\- **_**Reverberations in the abyssal Part 1.**_

"Guardian, how may I assist you?" inquired the Crucible's Quartermaster, Arcite 99-40. Khallis smiled and pointed to one of the many auto rifles he had on sale for the unique Crucible currency.

"I'd like to take a look."

The Frame nodded and quickly fetched the weapon she was pointing to that was hanging on a rack behind him. Gripping the new gun, Arcite 99-40 set the piece down against the counter as Khallis marvelled at its spectacular designs and functions. She spent a few seconds running her eyes about before finally gripping the weapon and testing the weight of it in her hands. For a brief moment, she envisioned herself soaring through battle with the weapon, firing rounds at all her enemies effortlessly.

"It's a new piece manufactured by Omolon, would you like to purchase it?"

Khallis paused and returned the weapon to the Frame who waited patiently for her decision. "Hmm, what else do you have?"

"I have another piece from Tex Mechanica…" the Frame offered and whipped back around in search for the weapon.

As he struggled to locate the gun, Khallis casted her eyes around the Hall of Guardians and spotted Ginevra descending the steps up ahead. She waved and the older warlock quickly rushed up to greet her. The two girls laughed as they gave each other quick hugs. Ever since Khallis had been introduced to Riley's group of friends, the two warlocks had hit it off rather quickly. They exchanged tales of their adventures and often met up when everyone else had gone off for their own missions. Khallis found comfort in the older woman and could even go as far as to picture her like an older sister she never had.

"So what are you doing?" Ginevra inquired as she eyed the Frame removing a gun from the rack.

"I'm thinking about using my marks to buy a new weapon, you?"

"Oh, I was just going to report to Ikora about my recent trip to Mars." replied the older warlock as the Frame offered the new weapon to Khallis. The younger warlock nodded her head and accepted the weapon. Once again she studied it carefully and found that the previous weapon by the company Omolon was far more superior in handling and weight.

"Are you doing anything after?" Khallis asked and gave the weapon back before quickly asking to purchase the first weapon. "Riley, Evan and Lux just left for a mission to Japan…"

"Again?" Ginevra sighed. "Those three seem to get all the fun."

"Agreed" laughed the younger warlock as she finished up the transaction with Arcite 99-40. "I was going to ask what Pahanin was doing after…"

"Oh? I heard he's still tinkering with his weapon or waiting for Riley to return."

"Does Riley really still need training?" Khallis asked. "He seems proficient enough."

Ginevra shrugged with a smile, "he wasn't a guardian for long. That's what I heard from Evan but he seems to catch on really quickly. Lux seems to believe him to be capable enough on his own."

"I guess SERP-27 was just concern."

The girls spoke for a few more seconds before a loud voice boomed from behind them. They turned just in time to see a large titan arguing with Lord Shaxx. Khallis tensed as she recognized the titan almost immediately as Bradley. The very titan that struck her out cold during their mission in Rome. She had no idea that Commander Zavala had handed his punishment off to Lord Shaxx and was interested to see the titan covered in filth and muck from god knows where. He even had a mop and bucket in his hands as he continued to stress his point over to the veteran guardian.

"Allow me back into the field!" he cried again, putting the mop and bucket down. "This is ridiculous!"

"Silence your squabbling" Lord Shaxx grumbled as he continued to play with the electronic pad in his hands. "You still have many weeks of community service to go."

"A guardian's job is out on the field, not cleaning up after every Crucible match! That's for the Frames and other non-guardians to do!"

"And as of this moment, it's your duty as well. Now hold your tongue and go finish your quota, there's still plenty left to do."

"But—!"

"Unless you prefer for a downgrade to scrubbing toilets, you will remain silent and complete your new duty" finished Lord Shaxx as he turned on his heels with his electronic pad and made his way down to the area where the vanguards were.

Khallis watched as a fuming Bradley scooped up the bucket and mop and turned to storm off in an angry fit of rage. He was about to leave the hall before his eyes locked immediately onto hers. Recognition flared in his eyes and his mood turned even more sour as they exchanged heated glares. Ginevra caught the glares and warily eyed the man too as he stormed over to them. She was about to open her mouth until he pointed at Khallis, irately.

"You" he wailed at Khallis who stood her ground determinedly. She wasn't going to fall back in fear just because he was bigger than her. "Your kind shouldn't even be allowed on the battlefield."

"What was that?" growled Ginevra as Bradley eyed the pair. What kind of statement was that? And talk about random.

"I said you warlocks are better off hiding in your rooms with your little books and wands like pathetic humans you are" he said with a smug smirk.

Khallis gritted her teeth together. Was this titan just venting out his frustration at them due to his punishment? Whatever the case, she didn't like him one bit and there was no way she would stand around listening to his idiotic bicker.

"Leave the manlier stuff to us men while you go play with your tea sets and—"

Before he could speak any further, Khallis brought her fist back and slammed it straight into Bradley's face. He yelped as he tumbled backwards with the contents of the bucket splashing all over him. Ginevra gawked at her friend who crossed her arms over her chest and glared down at the fallen titan.

"Don't you ever speak to us that way again" she snarled as bystanders gaped at the sight. She ignored them and continued to hurl her piece of advice at him. "Or I'll give you another, as much times as you want!"

"Why you little—" the wet titan growled as he attempted to get up but Ginevra stopped him with the palm of her hand.

Purple void magic swirled at her fingertips as she threatened the titan with it. "You best calm down, buddy. Unless you want more than a fist in your face."

"Tch!" cried the guardian and quickly picked up the discarded bucket and mop. Once he was up and dripping wet from the filth in the bucket, he gave the two a final glare before leaving the Hall of guardians in a hurry. Those around followed his movements with their eyes only to begin whispering and laughing at him seconds later. This only fuelled him to almost run out of the hall, embarrassed he had been beaten back by two girls.

Khallis sighed deeply as Ginevra broke into hysteric laughs at what had just transpired. She hugged the younger warlock and held her at arm's length, smiling widely.

"I can't believe you actually punched him!" Ginevra was truly astonished she had actually attacked him and put him in her place. She figured she had to save Khallis from the brute.

"He deserved it and more" replied the warlock as the pair continued to laugh and converse about Bradley.

* * *

"Well this is fun" Evan chimed as he leaned heavily on Riley's shoulders. The young titan grunted at the sudden weight but didn't push him off as the trio casually strolled through the remains of a residential area. "Mr. Cayde sure knows how to pick locations."

"He didn't pick it" Lux corrected him. "This just happens to be the place the House of Plagues decided was best to inhabit."

"Still within reach of the Devils though" Riley added worriedly.

"Wow, you're really taking a shine to those Plagues" Evan beamed. "Gonna marry that Kell while you're at it?"

Riley frowned deeply and shoved Evan off him which only made the male hunter laugh wickedly like a child. Sometimes Riley wondered how this man was even a guardian but knew he'd start spewing some lie of sorts. The pair continued along the rocky path, shifting through rubble and collapsed houses nestled tightly together. They passed an abandoned playground with rusty swing sets and slides that affected Lux deeply. She paused to pick up the tattered remains of a girl's broken doll and wondered if its owner had passed peacefully and without pain.

Evan frowned but decided not to open his big mouth. Riley on the other hand was busy trying to decipher the map given to them by Cayde-6. When they received the mission, they were told to head to a certain location to meet their contact, Jordan Cohan, which would debrief them on site. However the map Cayde-6 provided was a joke. It seemed like a bunch of scribbled lines and dots thrown together to play with them. The only hint that aided them in some way was the words, 'Setagaya C. Hosp' which didn't help them all that much.

"Are we on track, Ryemuffin?" Evan inquired as he stared at the holographic map Orion had painted along a block wall.

Riley sighed deeply and shook his head. He was never going to get Evan to stop calling him odd names.

"Well this is great. Good coordinates tinfoil."

"We should keep a look out for the words at least. It might be a name of some building of sorts."

"He could have provided us with some sort of, I don't know—an exact location? I mean, aren't we greatly advanced in technology with all those flashy sparkly lights and gizmos?"

By now Lux had joined the pair and was inspecting the map with interest. Riley shrugged to his reponse and directed his eyes over to Lux who returned his stare with one of her own. He flushed and darted his eyes away, still a little nervous around the girl for some apparent reason that was unclear to him. Evan noted the reaction and smirked whilst rubbing his chin in thought.

"Setagaya C. Hosp" Lux mused as she surveyed their surroundings. They had landed in Japan, Tokyo but at a rough location in order to not attract too much unwanted attention. "What district is this?"

Evan shrugged again, "no idea. I'm not a local."

"You don't have to be a local to know how to read and pick up signs." Lux interjected as Evan stumbled back with a hand to his chest.

"You wound me, Luxeen! How cruel of you" this earned him a slap across the head which did in fact hurt him this time. He stumbled forward, eyes wide as he clenched his head. "Ow! Okay that really hurt this time…"

The female hunter rolled her eyes, "at this rate you're never going to get Ginevra as your girlfriend."

Riley begun chuckling at this as Evan opened his mouth again to object to her statement. However Lux had hushed the hunter up with one finger before pointing to a large road littered with rusty cars and other vehicles. The road ran high above the ground forming an upper bridge that cut towards a major road ahead.

"We should be able to see something from up there" she decided and was already pressing forward. Riley agreed wholeheartedly and quickly fell into line as Evan brought up the rear, sullenly.

Climbing over crashed vehicles, the pair eventually managed to get on top of the large road and spotted about a mile away a blue broken sign on the side. Quickly they made their way over and managed to make out in the foreign language that the words read 'Setagaya, 27'

"We're not far from there then" she said and begun the long trek along the road.

The trio walked in silence, following the car littered highway warily. Occasionally they paused to point at different structures across the horizon that looked unique or remotely different from human construct. Riley wondered how long the House of Plagues had been in hiding. Ever since their retreat from Rome, the House of Plagues had been keeping a very low profile. Even Cayde-6's personal scouting units had a hard time finding any sort of Intel on them. Eventually the road descended down to lower grounds and exited into multiple small roads.

The trio stood in the centre of the road, deciding what to do now that they had reached the Setagaya district.

The place was littered with small commercial shops, houses and a few other parks about. At one side there was a small police station and the trio stumbled over there, searching for a map of sorts. Evan managed to find one which was faded and could use some dusting. Lux inspected the map and instructed Orion to bring up Cayde-6's map up again. She attempted to compare the two maps together and realised that the place Cayde-6 had marked was situated at a hospital. A small one shielded by tall buildings.

Elated that they had found their location, the trio followed the faded map with even more confidence. About twelve minutes into their walk, Evan slowed his pace and quickly used his headsets to communicate with his fireteam.

"_We got company"_ Evan whispered but resisted the urge to look his companions in the eye.

Lux too caught on what Evan was sensing and tightened her grip on her gun, "numbers?"

Riley tried to remain as calm as possible but he couldn't help but feel uneasy. Someone was tailing after them and he hadn't noticed it at all. He wanted to search every nook and cranny for their stalker but in order to not agitate their suspicious stalker; Riley pressed on at an even pace. Keeping a straight face, he listened as Evan took some sharp breaths in.

"_Can't tell, but they're close"_ Evan hummed with his finger on the trigger. _"Should we engage?"_

"_We don't know how many we're up against"_ Riley replied softly_._

"_What do you think, Lux?"_

The huntress took a second to glance over her shoulders but spotted nothing. She could feel the haunting stares from their stalkers, feel their presence advancing closer on their sixes but just couldn't pin-point their coordinates. Nothing was showing up on her radar as well and her ghost was unable to detect anything.

"_We'll lure them out, somewhere near."_

"_I like the way you think, Luxy. Okay, here's the plan guys"_ Evan grinned and rolled his shoulders casually. _"We're gonna break into a run, turn a corner and see what follows after us with guns ready. Sounds solid?"_

"_No complaints here"_ Riley agreed as Lux nodded her head a second later.

"_On my go…"_ Evan silently nudged in the direction he was going to dash for. The trio exchanged stern looks of agreement and prepared themselves. _"Ready? Go!"_

With Evan taking the lead, both Riley and Lux followed him closely and ran as fast as their legs could take them. The trio sprinted across the abandoned road and turned at the nearest fork. Evan spotted a low wall and jumped over it, turning just in time to see that the pair was also mimicking his actions.

He pointed to the wall and they dropped to the floor, waiting and listening for their stalkers. Seconds later, the trio could hear the faint sounds of footsteps and heavy breathing as if someone was running. The running soon stopped too and the person was mere inches from their position, probably debating where they had gone off too.

Riley wondered how long they had been followed for and mentally kicked himself for not realising this sooner. He thanked the Traveller that he had been blessed with skilful comrades. If it hadn't been for their keen senses, Riley would have continued walking without a care in the world.

"Crap…" groaned their stalker in between breaths. "Where did they…go?"

Evan quickly activated his cloak and disappeared from Riley and Lux's sights. Riley decided to leave the stealthy approach to the hunter as the pair settled back against shrubs and rocks. Eventually they heard a few noises that sounded like someone was fumbling for something and then a cry.

"D-don't shoot!"

Riley immediately jumped up and over the low wall, his gun snapping towards the nearest target. Lux followed quickly behind him and paused to register that Evan was perfectly fine. At his feet on their back was a man dressed in long robes. The bond clipped to his upper arm glowed with a small light in a strange pattern that could only belong to a guardian. A warlock to be precise.

"Who are you?" Evan demanded sternly with his finger on the trigger.

The warlock shook his head and franticly waved his hands about in a surrender motion.

"I don't mean any harm! J-just don't shoot, please" he cried hysterically. "I-I'm a guardian! Like you!"

"Tell me why you were following us?" Lux commanded, edging closer to the man.

The warlock darted his head about at each one of them. He swallowed thickly, before making some more frantic hand gestures. "S-sorry! I don't—"

He was cut off as a bullet whistled past the group and lodged itself into the ground a few inches from were Evan was. Evan turned on his heels but Riley was already tackling him forward as another bullet passed overhead, missing their heads by inches. Lux sped forward and grabbed the warlock by the collar and dragged him clumsily over the wall. Another bullet blasted their location just as Evan and Riley were struggled for cover. Narrowly missing more bullets, Evan and Riley's location was pelted with a rain of bullets.

"What was Cayde-6 thinking?! Sending us here and who the hell is shooting us?" Evan cried as he shielded his head.

Pinned down and unable to get to a better location, Riley sucked in a deep breath and decided to use his Void light to aid them. However he froze when his mind quickly remembered the last time his powers ran rampant. Fear consumed the titan and he released his closed fist, deciding that he couldn't risk using his light. Nervously he darted his eyes around the area, trying to figure out a way out of this.

"Evan, go invisible and get to safety" Riley decided and the hunter caught his stare.

"Not leaving you behind here to get shot up" Evan protested as a good chunk of stone was blasted from their cover. The pair huddled closer together, holding their crumbling wall back a bit and hope to dear god that the next button didn't penetrate the wall and their heads.

"I'm not saying to save yourself" Riley howled back. "Take the opportunity to spot our shooter and deal with him, quick!"

Evan eventually gave in and nodded his head. Swallowing his nerves, Evan disappeared from Riley's visions and jumped out from cover. Riley was unable to follow the invisible hunter with his eyes as he huddled closely against his deteriorating wall. Time passed and as Riley tried to remain in cover with what little wall was left, their shooter eventually stopped. Someone was screaming out and Riley knew that it came from the warlock they had pinned down moments ago.

"Stop! Don't shoot them, Raven!" the warlock howled as he stepped out into the open followed by a concern Lux.

Immediately the firing stopped and Riley carefully raised his head out from cover. In the distance, on top of a building, a hunter was climbing to a stand with an Auto Rifle in hand. His gun was trained on them but he held his fingers still as the warlock waved at him. Quickly he then pointed to his helmet signalling that they would radio each other to exchange words.

Lux immediately rushed to Riley's side to help him up. She gripped his arm and he climbed to a shaky stand, his heart still pounding in his ears rapidly.

"Are you okay?"

"What's happening?" Riley inquired as he dusted himself off. Evan had joined their side a moment later, jumping from a roof of a nearby house he had scaled to get a vantage point on their shooter. He seemed a little annoyed about the situation but kept his cool.

"They aren't the enemy…" Lux sighed as the warlock finished up what he was saying to his comrade and joined the trio. Nervously he advanced on them and scratched the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to get out of hand here" the warlock concluded. "Please forgive me. We had to be careful just in case."

"Explain" Evan demanded, not having the patience to deal with unnecessary distractions on their mission.

Timidly, the warlock explained that he and his friend Raven were on patrol around the area. They had spotted the trio and wanted to make sure that the fireteam wasn't an enemy before engaging them.

The warlock would follow on foot whilst his comrade Raven would track them from above. The plan was simply to see what they were up to and if they posed a threat, they would have struck. However when things got out of hand, Raven had thought his comrade was under attack and retaliated back. The warlock, introducing himself as Todd clarified that they were waiting for a fireteam to arrive from the tower. Then when he heard Evan scream something about Cayde-6 and Lux, he realised that the fireteam they were waiting for were them.

"So you're with Jordan Cohan's company?" Riley asked.

Todd nodded quickly as a moment later Raven appeared from above. Evan glared at the black and blue hunter who offered a simple 'sorry' in their direction but still had his gun at the ready. The distrust was evident in his stiff posture but so was the trio who mirrored his disposition.

"Sorry about this, we had to make sure you guys weren't rogue guardians or something" Todd sighed and instructed Raven to take point. The hunter nodded quickly and led the group forward with his gun at the ready.

"You guys had some run-ins with rogue guardians?" Evan asked with a scoff.

Todd ignored his tone of mockery and understood the level of caution the fireteam would have against them. "Not really here, but from rumours we've heard, one can never be too careful."

"Right…" Evan mumbled with a roll of his eyes.

The walk towards the hospital wasn't a long one and by the time they reached it, the compound was in high alert about their arrival. Two large titans greeted them upon arrival, unlocking the rusty gates wide enough for them to slip in before escorting them into the rundown building. They then resumed position back at the entrance of the building as Todd and Raven carried the trio through the complex. The hallways were littered with guardians hurrying around to different places. There were a few tables littered with weapons and a guardian would be sitting in a chair scribbling some words down as another would converse with them. Then there were some carrying boxes of equipment or others simply lounging around.

The group weaved through the building without much trouble towards an open courtyard in the centre of the hospital. Here, stacks of weapons, ammunition and more were organized neatly against one side of the wall. There was a small camp fire burning away with a small group of guardians gathered at the centre, chatting idly by.

The group moved on to a small area to one side where a large tree was growing. Here, a female guardian and two other male guardians were speaking to one another.

Todd paused and pulled his helmet free as Raven and the two titans stormed off to join the band of guardians surrounding the campfire. Riley hesitated and then proceeded to remove his helmet off as well.

"Should we be doing that too?" Evan said as Lux eyed him. She had already removed her own helmet off and with one glare, Evan gave in and followed her example. Holding their helmets under their arms, the group wandered over.

"Jordan!" Todd cried catching the trio's attention. "These are the guys sent from the tower."

"Oh? Thought they'd come around noon, not so early" a male hunter replied as Riley offered a hand to shake. The two shook firmly then went on to shake both Evan and Lux's hand.

"Jordan right?" Riley asked the male hunter who was still wearing his helmet. The hunter chuckled and pulled his helmet off revealing the mechanical face of an EXO.

"Nah, not me, I'm Loki-36" the male hunter said which startled them.

He sounded incredibly more human than an EXO which only made the hunter burst into more chuckles. Shaking his head, he pointed to the female hunter who was holding an electronic pad in her hand. The entire time she was speaking to another guardian at her side whilst tapping her fingers furiously on the pad. She eventually lifted her head and caught their stares before breaking into a soft smile.

"That's Jordan, the gal you're looking for" Loki-36 snickered as the group were stunned into silence.

Jordan was a strong looking type of woman with old scars decorating her face and eyes that glowed bright blue. Her black hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail that rested against her shoulder. She was also dressed in some loose clothing that was ill-fitted for any form of fighting. It seemed like she hadn't been out on the field for a while as there wasn't any weapons evidently on her person. She seemed totally out of place and defenceless compared to the many armed men and women scattered around the courtyard.

Quickly talking to her companion at her side, she eventually handed the pad off to him and watched him hurry off out of sight. Once he was gone, Jordan joined Loki-36's side and offered her hand for a shake with the group.

"Jordan Cohan at your service" she smirked, sucking in their bewilder expressions. "Expecting a man, I see?"

Riley stumbled over his words and was unable to produce anything incoherent as Lux swallowed thickly and shook her head.

"We're…we thought Jordan was a…uh" she said nervously.

Both Jordan and Loki-36 laughed openly at them.

"Well, guardians, I may not be a man but I can still hold my own fairly well. Shall we move onto more pressing matters?"

"Yes" Riley managed, noting that Jordan seemed in a hurry to get things going now that they were here. He swallowed back his initial surprise and nudged both Lux and Evan to get into gear. Lux nodded her head and Evan cracked a grin at him. "That's why we're here."

Jordan smirked with a curt nod of her head, "good. Let us talk in a more private area, hm?"

* * *

It seemed like it was by chance that Jordan and her team had stumbled upon the House of Plagues. Jordan and her team briefed the trio that they had lost track of the Plagues since their retreat from Rome. Now that they had luckily stumbled upon them, they had wanted to quickly notify the Tower of their discovery. It seemed the Plagues had been drifting from one area to the next for a long while before their large Ketch had settled in Tokyo. Jordan had sent scouts out to see what they could discover only to find that the Plagues were returning to their ways in Rome.

Production of weapons of war once again.

"They're crafty Fallen" Loki-36 said as he pulled up some photos of several land units.

Small spider walker that sprayed mini-guns and travelled quickly across the ground. They were fast, hit hard, usually not armoured. The group had seen them before and it came as a surprise that these guys could also send a shockwave of Arc light in a small radius that disrupted and shocked units around it. Shanks mounted with explosives were equivalent to suicidal bombers. A large land unit that was constructed to resemble a scorpion had armoured legs, a large mounted canon on its head and several mini-guns. Its stinger also packed a punch with Arc light. There were heavy pikes added to the photos along with many others in development that weren't completed.

It seemed the Plagues were developing at a faster rate, determined to expand after their fall in Rome. This concerned Riley as they may be strong enough to rival the Devils and Kings.

"As far as we know, they're just manufacturing weapons but haven't really done anything besides that." Jordan sighed as she paced back and forth. "We've been circling the area and found that they're deeply rooted underground in an old train station that has tunnels all over the place."

"What are they, moles?" Evan joked.

Deciding to ignore his remark, Riley inquired if they had a general map or any other Intel regarding the Plagues. Jordan shook her head, telling them that though they had tried, it was impossible to get inside undetected.

"Thank you for your help" Lux said as she caught her companion's gazes. "I think we have enough to go on for now."

"What are you going to do?" Jordan questioned.

"What Cayde-6 told us to do" Riley said. "We're going to meet the Kell of Plagues."

"You're not thinking of taking her on with just the three of you, are you?"

Both Riley and Evan shrugged at the idea whilst Lux busied herself with inspecting several information gathered on a whiteboard Jordan had kindly provided. It wouldn't be the first time a fireteam had attempted to infiltrate enemy lines for knowledge. There were plenty of skilful people who'd easily be able to achieve such a feat as well. Whether Riley's team was ready for such a task was unknown but the vanguards seem to think that only they could do it. Then again, their group was the most involved with the House of Plagues.

Jordan sighed and ran a hand through her hair which she unfastened in order to retie again. "Regardless of whatever you're going to do, I trust the vanguard hasn't sent a team as young as you to hell."

"We don't intend to die" Riley replied and Jordan smirked at his confidence.

"I'll hold you to that. Right, well, I'm supposed to set up a team to escort you to the Plagues but I can't leave just yet until matters here are dealt with."

"How long will that take?" Evan grumbled impatiently.

"We don't have all day" Lux added.

"An hour or so" Loki-36 said, "we're waiting on someone first before we can move out."

"In the meantime, why don't you rest for a bit? Travelling here would have taken a toll on you" Jordan offered before waving a hand at Loki-36 to get a move on. The EXO excused himself with a final grin and bow before departing the room. "If you want, I can set up a room with some beds for you. Although it won't be something as good as a five-star rating hotel…"

Riley shook his head, "I doubt we'd be able to sleep as of this moment. Just do your thing and we'll just review the data here until you're ready."

Jordan smiled and though she had wanted the team to be fed and well rested, she nodded her head nonetheless. Excusing herself from the room, Jordan shut the door and quickly followed after Loki-36 who had disappeared somewhere within the compound.

Finally alone to themselves, Evan settled back in one of the many old chairs and yawned noisily. Lux rolled her eyes and begun studying the schematics and several of entries the scouting units had compiled. Riley on the other hand had been staring at a few photos taken of the House of Plagues.

When he thought about how they would rock up to them, how he would finally meet the Kell, a part of him was trembling with excitement and uncertainty. He wondered if she would attack them or meet them directly. He wondered if she remembered their names, who they were and their actions back in Rome. Then he wondered what he would say to her, his first words that would ease any suspicion she had of them and the guardians.

The more he thought, the more anxious he became. Lux caught his intense stare and though she couldn't read his mind, she smiled and reached out. Her hand touched his and he stared back at her, alarmed.

"We'll be fine" she smiled and he withdrew his hand immediately.

"I uh, y-yeah…" he stuttered nervously as his cheeks flushed with colour. She chuckled and returned back to the document in her hands as he coughed into his hands. In the background, Evan whistled and cheered like a child at a spectacle with his hands up.

"Yeah, encore!"

* * *

When the team moved out, they had not anticipated that not long after, the skies were filled with Fallen Skiffs. This would have been a normal occurrence had these Skiffs were not decorated with the banner of the House of Devils. Concern welled in the pits of Riley's stomach as he asked Jordan, their guide, about the skiffs. If this was a normal thing to see in the skies of japan but the huntress shook her head furiously.

"What are they doing here?" she hissed as she scaled a large crumbling wall to see that the Skiffs were heading more inland. There were more than six skiffs breaking orbit into their skies and were hurrying towards one destination. Riley could only guess that they were searching for the Plagues and that only made matters worse.

"Jordan, how far up do we have to go?" Riley asked as he glided up to the wall to meet her. Behind him, Lux and Evan were hastily catching up.

Jordan pointed to a large road up ahead. A large building that probably belonged to some sort of company with more than thirty levels high had collapsed in the middle of it, blocking majority of the view.

"Just past that wreckage and you can see the entrance to the subway. Can't miss it" she said.

Riley thanked her and asked that she return back now that they knew their way. Jordan was hesitate at first but eventually gave in and wished them good luck as she rushed of. Without wasting time, the trio hurried forward, running as fast as their legs could take them. Before they could even reach the subway, the fireteam could hear gunfire in the distance. Screams from the Fallen followed soon after which only fuelled their legs.

As they passed the wreckage of lost buildings and homes, the trio could spot the Fallen battling it out against each other. Two opposing sides evenly matched as they punched, kicked, sliced and shot at each other. A moment later a Skiff appeared dropping a large Fallen Walker into the mix and the Plagues counterattacked by setting loose some of its smaller Spider tanks. Somewhere in the back, a large explosion carried off showers of rocks and dust as bodies from both sides were hurled through the air like toys.

Evan cringed and whistled at the damage.

"That's not a pretty sight."

"It's Rome all over again" Riley sighed and Evan nodded his head.

"Yep, 'cept we're running into the mix with just us three and not three other fireteams."

"What, you scared?" Lux cooled.

Evan gasped, "Never!"

"Only when Ginevra is thrown into the mix" Riley laughed. Evan opened his mouth to respond but Riley shrugged him off and pointed ahead. "Time to get moving."

"Right, we'll follow up on this matter another time" giggled Lux as she followed after Riley. Evan remained firmly planted in his position for a moment before groaning loudly. With a shake of his head, he too soon followed the pair who was attempting to slip past the warzone.

Getting past both the House of Plagues and Devils proved to be harder than anticipated. The group tried in vain to slip by but at every turn they were ambushed and forced to fight. Riley was against using his bullets for the House of Plagues but due to the gravity of things, the trio were unable to keep their fingers off the trigger. Somehow, they had managed to squeeze by into the entrance to the subway and found the tunnels had been lit up barely by sticks of bulbs of lights wired all along the walls.

Corpse of the Fallen covered the stairwell even when they descended deeper into the complex. Faded posters miraculously were still plastered on rotting walls as overgrown plants and shrubs had managed to leak through the cracks along the ground. Deeper in, the howls of battles and wails of the fallen echoed about.

Jumping the rusty old ticket booths, the group ran smack dead into a couple of Fallen battling it out. Among them was a large Baron who lifted up a dreg by the head and legs and hurled him into the cracked glass booths. Evan dodged the shattering glass and the dreg just as a Shank from the Devils whirled their way. Lux was quick to fling her hunting knife into the shank which exploded on impact. Lifting his gun up, Riley sprayed bullets at the Fallen who shrieked and scrambled for cover. What remained of the Fallen were the baron and a few dregs who stood in surprise as the guardians gathered themselves.

With the Fallen from the Devils all dead at their feet, the remaining Plagues warily took steps back. Riley scanned the area and checked to see if his fireteam were perfectly fine. With the fireteam showing no signs of injury, Riley cleared his throat.

He stepped forward but was quickly met with the baron's shock blade to his throat. At the same time, Riley slammed the tip of his gun into the baron's neck with his finger readily on the trigger. Frozen in unison, the pair locked eyes with one another as their comrades behind them were preparing for another fight. The baron however didn't move but allowed Riley to meet eyes with him.

The baron spoke but realised that the guardians were unable to understand him. Instead with his free hand, he pointed a finger at Riley's helmet and growled lowly at him.

"Orion…" the titan summoned his ghost who shakily materialized in front of them.

"Yes…?"

"Translate."

Orion hesitantly bobbed up and down before the gears in him begun whirling. When the baron was satisfied with the appearance of the guardian's ghost, he grunted to clear his throat and spoke once more.

"_Why have you've come, humans?"_ he snarled.

Riley slowly swallowed a nervous lump in his throat and exhaled. "Your Kell, we wish to see her…"

This surprised the baron but his eyes only hardened when he realised that most meetings with guardians always ended up with one less Kell ruling a house. The grip on his blade tightened and he was itching to just slice the guardian's throat in an instant. But something was holding him back. In the further reaches of his mind, a voice screamed for him to stop, to listen and wait.

"_Are you a fool?"_

"We were in Rome when we met with her." Riley bit back, slightly annoyed to be called a fool. "We also want to help repel the House of Devils from here. Because of them, we'll be unable to meet your Kell."

"_What reason do you have meeting our Kell?"_

"That's for her own ears to hear" Evan said. The Baron growled at him but didn't divert his attention away from Riley.

"The more we talk, baron. The more time we waste. Allow us to help" Riley said slowly, eyeing the sharp edges of the shock blade to his neck.

It was large and he didn't doubt the baron had the strength to easily end him. If the baron wished to kill him, he was ready to muster up enough strength to take him down with him. Death scared him but he trusted Orion to be there to revive him once again. For a long moment, the baron said nothing. Until finally he released the titan and stepped back. His fellow dregs were quick to move to his side with their guns ready but he pushed them back and growled at them to remain still.

"_What are your names?"_ queried the baron.

Riley exhaled deeply, relieved that his head was still connected to his body. With a quick rub of his neck he waited until his heart had settled down a bit before responding.

"Riley" the titan answered before pointing at his comrades. "This is Lux and Evan."

"_Ri…ley? Lux…Evan?"_ the baron said slowly, a look of recognition flaring in his eyes. The fallen blinked for a moment before turning his eyes to the many confused dregs at his side. A low chuckle escaped his lips which startled the dregs and the fireteam greatly._ "My Kell has spoken about three humans with those names…"_

"R-really?"

The baron nodded, _"though she has said little of the matter, I know for a fact that she will have my head if I end your lives here."_

Evan snorted at this, "Doubt you'd do much damage to us."

The baron growled and Lux elbowed the hunter in the ribs sharply.

"_I will ignore that, human."_ The baron hissed. _"As of this moment, I must reach my Kell before any harm befalls her. Humans, I will accept your help."_

Riley nodded firmly, "uh, baron? Do you know where she is?"

"_I am called Korrik, humans"_ said the baron and signalled for the dregs behind him to rally up and move out. _"My Kell is deeper still, a long way to go. Come, we must be fast before things—"_

"Say no more" Riley said and signalled his fireteam to action.

* * *

**Bladed Raptor – **Oh, yes, the decisions will make it harder for Riley. Just you wait! There's still plenty of twists and turns for our little lightbringers!

**Countess of Monleigh –** Yep, Tetra and Adelia are cold-bloodied killers. Perfect characters that suit their jobs well. I felt bad writing that part as well. Hopefully I did Khallis some justice in this chapter!

**Destiny lover – **Yeah, I wanted the corrupted guardians to grow as well. I try to not make my characters too dull and boring especially when they play big roles in the story!

**Guest –** Never watched Captain America but that is a pretty neat idea!

**Outkast000 – **Pm'ed you! Thanks for the advice! I'll see what I can do to fix things up!


	15. XIV - Reverberations in the abyssal pt2

**A/N: GUYS, GUYS. THREE DAYS. THREE BLOODY LONG DAYS. **

**I can't express how long and painful the wait is. I know the first thing I'll do once The Taken King drops, GET THAT SWORD. Oh and unlock stormcaller. Hell yeah! (Or dying some horrible death from my rocket once again…)**

**Anyways, enjoy the chapter friends!**

* * *

_**Circle of War**  
__"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"  
_

**CHAPTER ****FOURTEEN****\- **_**Reverberations in the abyssal Part 2.**_

The hall was alight with activity from both sides.

The Plagues and Devils were pitted against each other in a gruelling battle to the death as bullets and insults were exchanged to one another. Echoes of screams blared about just as loud as the red sirens going off nonstop. Korrik ignored the fuss as he cut his enemies down with the guardians close behind him. His mind was racing with the possibilities that his Kell was also fighting for her life. Though he didn't doubt she was strong enough to hold her own in any battle, the sheer numbers of Devils planted deeply within the complex scared him.

He had to reach her and fast before he was too late.

"_Baron, Sir, radio frequency detected. Only small interference"_ spoke a panting vandal as he adjusted his headpiece. Korrik skidded to a stop and surveyed his surroundings quickly. The halls were empty save for the large amounts of blood and bodies that littered every inch of the walls and ground. The baron grimaced, appalled at how many of his kin had been slain but his attention was quickly drawn back to the young vandal at his side.

"_Patch us in"_ Commanded the Baron as Riley shuffled forward past two wary Dregs.

"What seems to be the problem?" the titan inquired and Korrik snorted.

"_Nothing to worry, human"_ Korrik assured. Riley nodded his head slowly and moved on to join Lux and Evan on look out. With the human a good distance away from the Fallen, Korrik eased back to the matter at hand.

"_We're in, speak sir"_ the vandal replied.

"_Good"_ Korrik said and pressed a button adjusted on his helmet to broadcast his own voice. _"My Kell, can you hear me?"_

Static was his reply but this didn't deter the Baron as he tried again, this time louder. Moments later, the sounds of gunfire and screams were received and someone sighed deeply in his ear.

"_Korrik, you still live, yes?"_ Instead of his Kell, a raspy male Fallen answered and Korrik was quick to recognize the voice belonging to a baron named Baskris. The baron was famed in their group as a master of combat; often put on the frontlines defending their honour and more. Korrik both envied and admired the other baron but never vocally proclaimed such sentiments.

"_Our Kell feared you were dead"_ Baskris continued before quickly ordering someone at his side to advance on the enemy's position.

"_I am safe. What of our Kell? Where is she?"_

"_She is safe. We are waiting until the Ketch is ready to fly. You must hurry here unless you wish to be left behind."_ Baskris replied as he fumbled about, creating more loud disruptive noises. A moment later, several loud bursts from a gun were fired and Baskris shouted to a dreg to get out of the way.

"_I will be there shortly"_ Korrik replied and hastily moved his team and the guardians into action. The dregs and vandals at his side need not say anymore as they shuffled forward, twisting around a corner and leading the way. Riley and his friends were quick to follow them with their guns at the ready as Korrik and a single vandal brought up the rear.

"_Good, good, you must be quick—you, quickly to the left—covering fire!"_ Suddenly there was a large explosion followed quickly by several screams that pierced the baron's ears. He wenched and almost tore his helmet off but managed to endure the pain long enough as the line went dead.

"_Baskris…? Baskris!"_ Korrik screamed but it was already too late and the baron was left with a sickening feeling welling in his stomach. He swallowed a lump in his throat and hoped the poor baron had survived as he ascended some stairs.

"Is everything okay? Things didn't sound too…good" Riley inquired, pulling to a stop to allow the dregs to crack open a locked door before them.

Korrik frowned deeply, wondering how he would answer. _"Everything is good. We are good but we must go fast. Must go now."_

"As soon as your friends get this door open which some are doing a splendid job of" Evan smirked watching as one dreg smashed into the door painfully. He couldn't help but laugh at the poor dreg who continued to ram its weak body against the door, thinking it was helping. The other dregs that were smarter ignored their friend and continued to pick at the lock.

"_Yes…"_ Korrik said feeling a little ashamed about the amount of intelligence some of his fellow kin had.

Once the door was unlocked, the group squeezed out of the small space into a large room with half of the ceiling missing. The war must have done such destruction, Riley noted as his group pressed forward to witness another large battle forming directly below them. Several Plagues were pinned down as a large Devil Walker prepared to attack. It fired a rocket from its single canon and a good proportion of Plagues and cover were blown to bits. Korrik gritted his teeth and gripped his shock blade, eager to destroy the monstrosity that continued to wreak havoc on his house.

Eventually his eyes landed to the furthest side of the room to where the rest of the Plagues were taking cover from. A large Fallen draped in a rugged bloodstained black cape was quickly reloading his weapon. Korrik's eyes widened a fraction, recognizing the large Fallen to be baron Baskris who finished up his reloading and continued to spray the sea of Devils before him.

"_Humans, I require your assistance"_ Korrik said and pointed to the Plagues behind. _"We must help. Protect them."_

"With that massive Walker running rampant around?" Evan said.

Both Lux and Riley gave him ludicrous looks.

"We killed one once before, you know" Riley remarked and Evan shook his head at him.

"Yeah, but we had like, SERP-27, Ginevra and like my awesome sparrow that time."

"You could use your sparrow again and we have the Fallen helping, hm?" Lux decided with a smirk. Evan couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous that sounded but his two friends were more than serious.

"Okay, you stay up here and cower in a corner while us strong guardians do the work" Lux quipped and gripped the metal rails preventing her from falling over the sides. Korrik and his team were already leaping over the side, engaging the enemies below. Evan gawked at her in disbelief.

"Lux is right, stay here Evan and just...play with your ghost" chimed Riley as he gripped his weapon readily.

"Whoa hey, wait a moment! I'm helping, I'm coming!" Evan howled as he chased the two laughing guardians who jumped to the floor below.

Upon landing, Korrik carefully manoeuvred over to where Baskris was who had finally noted the appearance of their reinforcements. For a moment he was glad and almost eased back in relief but as soon as he spotted three humanoid guardians joining the fray, battling their way through Fallen numbers and then eventually tackling the Fallen Walker; something in him snapped. His hand was immediately on his weapon and he lifted it up, taking aim at one of the guardians just as Korrik slipped into his peripheral view.

"_Hold your weapon, baron!"_ Korrik hissed raising his own weapon as well. Though Korrik didn't like the guardians, he couldn't allow their deaths to be at his hands or anyone else's for that matter. Not until they had met his Kell.

"_Are you a fool? Why have you've led thieves here?"_ Baskris snarled, unable to comprehend why the baron would protect their enemies.

"_They are our Kell's …guest."  
_

"_What? When did she…?"_ Now Baskris was beyond confused and dropped his weapon, eyeing the other baron suspiciously.

"_Enough of the matter, Baskris. Where is our Kell? When do we leave?"_ Korrik demanded, deciding the best course of action was to leave the topic for another matter. They had no time to stand around aiming their weapons at each other when they could be helping their House with other matters.

The older baron growled but didn't press him of the matter as he tore his eyes away from the guardians and Korrik.

"_Deeper still, beyond those doors behind us"_ pointed the baron before directing his attention back to the battle. His eyes landed on the Fallen Walker which was quickly adjusting its main canon at the frantic guardians. They zipped across the battlefield and continued to spray their bullets into the tank's delicate legs given the chance to. _"I do not yet know what is keeping them. I was merely assigned to hold the front and keep these Fallen scums distraction."_

A moment later, one of the Fallen Walker's legs was shot off and it collapsed to the floor to reveal its precious engines. Two guardians quickly charged up their Solar energies and released three Solar powered shots into the Walker's engines whilst the last, a titan, fired some rockets from their launcher. The Walker was quickly annihilated but the threat of the Devils was still evident as dozens of Devils were quick to replace their destroyed tank. Baskris couldn't deny that the guardians were a big help but he would never admit such a thing openly.

"_Korrik, take your men and go to our Kell. She will be relieved to see you alive and well."_

"_Then I must take the guardians with me."_

"_Do as you wish, they are merely pest in my eyes. If I continue to stare, I might shoot them."_

Korrik laughed at this and climbed to a stand, quickly firing into a squad of Devils that barely had time to scattered into cover. As he traversed across the room, the guardians were quickly dispatching a small group of vandals, shanks and dregs cluttered to one side. Korrik managed to gather their attention and urged them to follow him. Though confused, the guardians finished up their last victims and quickly followed the fleeing baron.

"What are we doing?" Riley asked as he slid into cover, barely dodging a stray bullet. "Should we not help them?"

"_Baskris can handle the situation well"_ the Baron muttered and busted the double doors open to reveal another spacious room. Beyond the valley of crushed and destroyed train carriages, Korrik could see the nose of the ketch resting against the side of the building. The pilots parking was a rather shoddy job, having crashed into a large wall of twisting metal bits and crumbling walls but it was safer than landing it against tall buildings that towered over the city.

"That is one huge ship" Evan whistled, managing to spot several Skiffs hovering above the Ketch. "Whoa, they're shooting up your beauty of the ship, baron."

Korrik gritted his teeth together. Just as Evan had said, the Devil's Skiffs were firing rapidly at their Ketch and pinning it down.

"_This is why they are taking their time"_ groaned Korrik who ordered his men to gather up some heavy weapons to fire at the Skiffs. _"We will need to clear the skies, humans."_

"With what? Our rockets?" Lux murmured, checking over the ammo reserve she had stored. Just one look a the sky and she knew she didn't have near as much rockets for each Skiff.

Korrik shook his head and smirked at them, _"no, we have a special weapon for these occasions."_

"Why do I get the feeling that these 'special weapons' you're taking about wasn't for Fallen aircrafts only" Evan muttered only earning a wider smirk from the baron. With a deep sigh, the guardians were quick to follow after the baron who led them up some rusty steel steps towards another set of doors.

* * *

It was quiet the spectacle that the hunter would have never chanced upon should he have not dared himself to slip into the Hall of Vanguards that day. To witness two warlocks defending their pride against a rather obnoxious titan wasn't something you'd see every day. And the hunter enjoyed it every step of the way, even after the titan had left the hall. Now the hunter had wanted to tail the two females, learn about what they were laughing contently about but instead he decided his main objective was the very titan himself.

Excusing himself from the crowd, the hunter weaved through the mass of people who had filtered into the hall, expecting some big action to form between the engagement. Too bad the fun had ended very abruptly but the hunter was already planning to entertain himself some other way.

As he climbed the steps, eyeing the titan who was storming across the Tower with a mop and bucket in hand, he contemplated how he would approach the angry beast. The titan was so absorbed in reaching his destination that he didn't care about anyone gaping at his wet clothes. Eventually the titan arrived at his destination, some public toilets and dropped the bucket and mop against the furthest wall to clean himself at a sink.

The hunter smirked, noting the only occupants were them. He slipped in besides the titan and leaned casually against the sink, his eyes staring at his reflection in the mirror. The titan was so engrossed in washing his face and hair that he had not caught on to his presence at all. That is, until he lifted his head from the sink and caught the hunter's black appearance at the corner of his eyes.

"What—"

"Charming display back there" cooled the hunter with a wide grin. However his visor was still over his head that masked much of his identity which only irked the titan. Usually there was no need to continue wearing your helmet within the tower. So not seeing the face of the person you were interacting with was deemed rude to most guardians. And this was something that Bradley hated immensely.

"Who the hell—"

"A shame. I was actually rooting for you." The titan was at a loss for words which only made the hunter's wicked smile deepen.

"What do you want?" the titan managed, a hard glare locked onto the chuckling hunter. "Why are you here?"

"To talk to you, Bradley" shrugged the hunter. "Everyone I meet have a habit of disappearing away…"

"You sound annoying and I hate annoying people" grumbled the titan who scooped up a handful of water and washed his face some more. "I don't have time to just 'chat' with random nobodies."

"Likewise" replied the hunter as he reached out and placed a gloved hand against the cool mirror. In an instance, something black seeped from the hunter's palm and spread across the entire mirror before it was completely coated in a thick layer of black muck. Bradley gasped and stumbled away from the mirror, his eyes wide with fear and disbelief.

"Wh-whar..wha" Shuttered the titan as he shuffled back.

"I don't have time to talk to nobodies also."

"W-what in the name of the Traveller?!"

The hunter frowned and gripped his outstretched hand into a fist, watching the black ink spread from the mirror all across the floors and walls. Bradley screamed as the entire room was enveloped in total darkness.

"What the hell is going on!?" he wailed as a low chuckle escaped the hunter's lips. "Who the hell are you!?"

"A hunter, an ex-guardian, an enemy, a traitor. Dredgen Yor" snickered the hunter as he whirled on Bradley and held out his palm. Slowly, a cloud of black smoke slipped out, travelling across the floor towards the titan who shuffled back against the wall. The mist danced tauntingly at his feet, curling around his boots as Dredgen advanced on the titan.

"Come Bradley, give in to the Darkness."

"No, stop, get the hell away from me!" he screamed.

The hunter laughed and his latched onto the titan, his hand gripping his face as the darkness surrounding them swallowed the poor man up. The titan screamed and clawed at his hand as he felt his held was penetrated by something dark. Dredgen laughed openly at this, watching as his thrashing soon came to a standstill and he dropped to the floor limply. The hunter thanked Xyor for gifting him these powers and waited a moment before Bradley's body trembled to life once again.

When Bradley reawakened, he wasn't the same anymore. Calm and cool, Dredgen watched as the Darkness had taken full control over his body.

"Now Bradley, I need you to do a job for me" Dredgen said and the possessed titan nodded his head willingly.

"Find anything you have on a hunter named Pahanin Errata. What his mission is, where his workshop is. What he does. Where he is. Anything."

Bradley nodded, "yes…sir."

"Oh and make sure you do so without getting caught or…" the hunter pulled one of his hunting knife from his belt and begun toying with it in front of the titan. There were still plenty of other replacements he could find.

"Yes…sir…" replied the titan once more and begun walking out of the bathroom. When he was gone, the Dredgen smirked and made his way for the door until his Ghost informed him someone was calling him. The hunter paused and quickly answered the call.

"_Dredgen, I need you"_ Akvar answered and the hunter frowned.

"What?"

"_There is an individual I need you to keep tabs on. Riley Kempfr. Find him."_

Dredgen paused, grimacing. Wasn't that the greenhorn guardian he had seen in SERP-27's memories?

"Oh the light boy, what do you need him for?" asked the slightly annoyed hunter.

"_Find him. This is not a request."_ Akvar demanded a final time before the line went dead. Frustrated, the hunter kicked the bucket just as the darkness quickly vanished from every inch of the room. With a deep sigh, Dredgen calmed his nerves and decided to explore the tower a bit more before he went to track where Bradley had gone off to.

'_Akvar's time would come_' he bitter thought as he stepped out into the bustling Tower. He would see to it that it would be him that makes the warlock squeal like a pig.

* * *

Three missiles were fired into the air and slammed hard against one of the many Skiffs occupying the skies over Japan that day. This was quickly followed by a loud scream of delight from the hunter Evan who was manning the large mounted artillery gun stationed against one of the walls. How the Fallen had managed to set one up was beyond him as he was basked in utter glee at how fun operating the mounted weapon was.

"One down, more to go!" he cried as Riley quickly loaded up some missiles and stepped away from the machine. Three more missiles hit the skies and knocked another two Skiffs from the air. Ships were exploding all across the place and just seeing the sheer destruction the mounted weapon had created was exhilarating.

"He's having too much fun with this" Lux grumbled as Riley chuckled. Gripping the last missile, he shoved it into the butt of the large canon and stepped away as Evan took aim once more.

"When is he ever serious?"

"Good point" the huntress Lux said with a shake of her head. It was a known fact to many that the hunter was nothing more than unprofessional in any situation. If anyone had seen him serious, it might have been Ginevra but the girl had never disclosed any information on the topic to them. Lux sighed deeply, not really understanding how he could be such a joker on the battlefield. Was everything a game to him?

"At least he's doing something productive." Riley observed with a small smile.

"If you call shooting down Skiffs a good and productive past time."

"Fire!" Evan cried childishly as he pressed down on the trigger. Eventually he begun making aeroplane noises accompanied with rapid 'bang, bang, bang' each time he pressed the trigger. "Look mum, I'm a soldier!"

Riley shook his head but couldn't help laughing at the childish display.

As more Skiffs were shot down, Lux directed her attention where Korrik had gone off to. The last she had seen of the baron was when he led them up here but now he and his band of Fallen were nowhere to be seen. She frowned, walking to the edge with her gun at the ready before spotting the Fallen tackling several Devils that had sneaked into the room.

"Riley, I'm going down to help" Lux decided and Riley wished her good luck before turning back to shovelling another large missile into the machine for a giddy Evan.

Eventually the fighting had died down and when enough Skiffs had been shot out from the skies, the Ketch rumbled to life. Evan paused from taking aim with his new toy and watched as the Ketch slowly rose from the debris into the sky.

"Hey, it's leaving! Wait, didn't it forget about us?" Evan said as he pointed.

Riley frowned and ran to the edge of the platform to where Korrik was assembling his men under. Quickly he tapped his headpiece and ordered his Ghost Orion to patch him into the baron's frequency. A few seconds passed and Orion confirmed the link had been established.

"What's going on, Korrik?" Riley asked spotting Lux vanquishing a dreg from the House of Devils with her hunting knife. "Why is the Ketch leaving us?"

"_We will join them in another Skiff. Come, we need to hurry"_ Korrik said and begun running across the deserted grounds with Lux in tow.

"Come on Evan, we need to move." Riley command and Evan saluted in response before hopping off the machine and making a break for the stairs. Riley rushed after him, amazed at how fast he was moving compare to him.

As they slid down a ladder leading to the bottom floor, they spotted Lux waving at them at one end of the room. Quickly rushing over, a Skiff had just about landed to the ground and the baron and his companions were already boarding it.

"Hurry up!" Lux cried as she turned to follow the baron.

"Don't talk to me like that, sister! Mhm, nope, no." Evan waved all sassy like as Riley smacked him across the head. "Ow! Riri-kun, why?"

"Stop kidding around and hurry up" Riley groaned as he sped pass the sulking hunter.

When they were finally inside, the Skiff roared to life and was shooting for the clear blue skies after the Ketch. The guardians regrouped in the cabin area where Lux was busy talking to her Ghost about the interior of the Skiff. As this was their first time in a Fallen Skiff, Lux was rather excited to inspect every aspect of it. Evan on the other hand found the ship's interior to be as boring as a small dankly ship at sea.

Riley sighed and took a seat against the walls where a few other Fallen were resting. Groggily he flexed his fingers and rolled his shoulders. It was a long and eventful day with little to no rest provided for them. Since the start of the day, the fireteam has been ploughing through everything, fighting the fatigue of battle and more. Lux took a seat next to him and nodded his way as she rolled her shoulders.

"We'll get to see their Kell soon…" she said as Evan collapsed in the seat next to her.

"Got that ring ready there, bubby?" Evan cheekily joked.

Riley rolled his eyes and brought a clenched fist up at him, "no but I think I have something for you."

Evan laughed and shook his head, "cool it there, Ryemaster. You're turning into Lux."

Lux chuckled at this and shook her head, "that's not a bad idea actually. I need some backup here to keep you in line, Evan."

"Doing whatever I can to help, Lux." Riley replied with a wide grin.

"Whoa, two against one? Not fair."

"Deserve it" Lux sighed as she rested her head back against the wall with her arms over her chest. "For as long as we are together, you're gonna keep getting a pounding."

"Geez, stop with the violence Lux. So not good for your complexion."

The huntress snorted at this, "I think you've got it wrong and my complexion is fine!"

"Oh you're right. It's totally fine—all hot and sweaty, just the way Riley likes it."

"PFFT!" Riley spat, spitting in his helmet and choking hysterically at Evan's words. Lux cocked a curious brow his way as Riley began pounding on his chest to calm his racing heart. He couldn't believe that Evan had just said that and the hunter begun laughing hilariously at his reaction to boot as well. Even going as far as to slap his knees and tumbled out of his seat as he pointed at the coughing titan. If there was a moment Riley had ever wanted to pound the living daylights out of the hunter, now would be a good time.

"Oh grow up" groaned the huntress, kicking Evan in the leg to shut him up.

"Y-yeah Evan…" stammer the recovering titan.

"_You humans are very strange"_ Korrik said as he entered the room. Immediately Evan got off the floor as Lux and Riley were brought to their feet to greet the baron. The baron stopped a few feet from them and was still carrying his weapons on him tightly. Around them, the Plagues had looked up with interest but the baron brushed them off with the wave of his hand.

"It's just Evan" Lux sighed, "we're totally the normal ones here."

"_Hm, I have heard from my Kell"_ Korrik said. The guardians all exchanged nods and looks of approval as the baron continued. _"She will see you when we land."_

"That's good new—" before Riley could finish, something hard hit their Skiff and sent it rocking violently to one side. Everyone was left stumbling about to regain their balance as all sirens within the room burst with life.

"_Sir Korrik! W-we've been hit!"_ screamed another Fallen who had taken a tumble across the room.

As soon as the first rocket had hit their ship, another followed that sent the entire team rolling to the floor painfully this time. Lux collided into Riley who tried in vain to break her fall as Evan was sent hurling against a Shank that buzzed angrily in his ears. He grinned at the angered Shank and pulled himself up but was thrown back down again by another hit.

"_Enemy Skiffs!"_ someone screamed, sending the entire occupants in the Skiff into high alert.

Two more bullets hit their sides before the Skiff took a nasty turned and plunged forward. Korrik landed back on his knees and hands as two dregs slammed into him. He grunted angrily and pulled himself from the mess, trying to reach for the door and make his way towards the ship's cockpit. As the guardians attempted to gain their footing, a few more screams echoed across the ship.

"_What's the situation?"_ Korrik snarled in his earpiece as he slipped through the door and was slowly making his way towards the pilot. As he gripped onto whatever he could hold to steady his steps, the pilot attempted to gain control on the ship once again but failed miserably.

"_They destroyed our engines, no! We're losing control"_ cried the panicky pilot as he co-pilot attempted to help him raise the ship from descending downwards any further. However any attempts they made still yielded no results which only sickened the baron as he gripped the wall for support firmly.

"_Brace yourself, w-we're going down!"_ screamed the pilot as the Skiff smashed head first into a mountain.

* * *

When Riley came to, the titan was baffled as to why he was found lying on his stomach in a low ditched with explosions and sparks around him. As he blinked his eyes and tasted grains of dirt in his mouth, he realised that his helmet had been cracked, rendering it useless. He gritted his teeth, coughing as a thick layer of smoke penetrated his mouth and nose. Clumsily, he managed to pull his head free from his helmet and dropped the heavily damaged gear to the ground as he struggled to stand.

"Don't get up" Orion commanded as Riley screamed when a torrent of pain crept up his legs. He dropped to the floor, gripping his left leg and realised he was bleeding. "The crash has damaged you back, hips and legs. There is a possibility you have fractured some bones in the fall."

"W-what….hap-happen..ed?" Riley croaked as he tried to piece together everything. Clumsily, he stemmed the bleeding with his trembling hands. His Ghost hovered to his side, its single eye blinking as it rotated its body and wings counter clockwise. He made a few low beeps of noises before scanning Riley's injuries, calculating something quickly.

"The Skiff crashed in the mountains. Your survival rate has decreased drastically. We need to get you some medical attention immediately…"

"O-others…wh…ere?" Forming words was much harder than Riley had thought it'll be as he adjusted his body and grumbled as more shots of pain sprung up from his legs.

Orion paused and casted its eye about the area as Riley attempted to follow. There was so much smoke and fire that they realised they were still in the heart of the crash site. He must have tumbled out of the Skiff when it hit as he was lying in a ditch with a few other dead Fallen around him. Sickened at the sight, his eyes eventually found Lux's unconscious form lying in the dirt not too far from his position. Her helmet was cracked as well and her ghost Algonquin was buzzing around her wildly. Beyond her where half of the Skiff had crashed into the earth; Evan was spotted. His Ghost as well was mimicking Algonquin's actions.

"They are alive but require medical attention as well" Orion informed as Riley attempted to crawl his way to them. He suppressed the pain back, bitting his lower lips as he dragged his tired and aching body over.

"F-find …help, O-Ori..on…" Riley groaned as he pulled himself out of the ditch and was edging closer to where Lux was.

Orion however refused to move as he darted his eye about and made a few odd noises, "no, I can't—something isn't right. Riley, we have company!"

At a time like this, Riley was in no position to fight. With a wounded cry, the titan pulled himself closer to Lux and checked her pulse. Her breathing was a bit chipped but she was alive and a great wave of relief filled him. He didn't know what he'd do if he found her dead. Quickly Riley tore off a piece of cloth from his mark fastened to his belt and wrapped it clumsily over Lux's wounds. Behind him, he could hear the cries of delighted Fallen and shivered.

Was this their end?

"Riley, we must move" Orion cried but the titan ignored him. He wouldn't leave them. "The House of Devils, incoming!"

Riley whipped his head around, spotting the fast approaching Devils and froze. He couldn't believe that they had managed to chase them this far. Fear gripped him and he desperately searched for a weapon to use.

Moments later, Korrik burst from the wreckage of the Skiff and was sprinting across the grounds with one of his shock blades. Riley was thankful the Fallen was still alive as several others which managed to survive the crash groggily stood to join their baron as well. As the Plagues and Devils were pitted heatedly against one another around the crash site, Riley took a moment to catch his breath.

He still needed to attend to Evan's wounds even if he was in no condition to move. He couldn't believe this was happening to them. That they were going to die here at any moment.

"Riley!" Orion cried as someone reached out and grabbed Riley by the hair.

The titan screamed as he was raised up by a Stealth Vandal from the House of Devils. He thrashed about, trying to loosen the grip on his hair as the Vandal brought its shock blade to his neck. Inhaling, Riley shut his eyes and awaited his end but was instantly dropped to the floor. He coughed and opened his eyes to see the Stealth Vandal had been torn up by a Shank's bullets. Once the vandal was nothing more than a corpse, Riley mustered some energy and prompted himself up against a boulder. He glanced about and watched as more than a dozen Plagues were blasted into the sky from an explosion somewhere over a mountain of dirt.

"We need to go, now, Riley!" Orion insisted.

The situation wasn't good.

Seconds later, a few Devils had spotted him and were approaching him with their weapons raised. Riley searched for his gun for the last time but found that it was too far away to dive for. One of the dregs fired up on him and he rolled away from his spot ignoring the stinging pain in his legs. The dregs laughed, mocking his weak form and continued to approach him. One of them spotted Lux and pointed, uttering an insult and a sudden idea to play with her. Angered that they would toy with a defenceless person, Riley gathered enough energy to climb to a shaky stand. His legs felt weak and he knew his knees would buckle soon but the titan refused to back down.

He had to do it.

It was their last chance of survival.

Inhaling slowly, the titan channelled energy into his palms and a purple protective sphere circled the area around him. The dregs shrieked and stumbled back as the purple shield prevented them from damaging those inside it. They fired on the shield regardless of it doing much effect and Riley watched in horror as the Shield throbbed with each hit. Riley was unsure how long the shield would last but knew that it wouldn't be too long. His ward would barely survive the on slaughter before running out of energy and that's when he knew he was done for.

Tiredly he closed his eyes and buried them into his hands, sobbing at how badly things had transpired.

He was scared and was afraid that this would be the end for them. As seconds ticked by, Riley could feel his shield breaking. The bullets left cracks between its once solid surface and the impending doom was reaching them incredibly fast.

He didn't want to die, not again. Though he Ghost attempted to assure him he was going to be fine, Riley failed to see any sense of hope in his words.

"I-I'm so, so …sorry guys" he whimpered, his body trembling in great pain and sorrow.

"_Eyes up guardian!"_

The titan froze.

The voice sounded so familiar that when Riley raised his head out of his hands he couldn't believe who he was seeing. Standing in front of him with their backs to him, a tall broad guardian stood with their gun trained on the enemy. The figure turned, glancing down at him and offered a rather robotic smile that Riley knew all too well. He felt his composure drop and he couldn't help but quiver at the sight of the guardian before him.

SERP-27…

"_Fight, Riley!"_

SERP-27 said and pointed to the sky above them to which Riley followed with his eyes. What he saw was a crystal clear blue sky and several Skiffs in the distance. However that one action along left enough of an impression on him and he knew the true meaning to why the older titan had done so. When Riley glanced back down, SERP-27 was gone and Riley couldn't believe he had been such a fool. He openly gave up his life when he could have been fighting. He could be surviving. SERP-27 had wanted him to live and the titan wouldn't let down his former master.

Determined to see this to the end, Riley climbed to another stand. A great hunger overwhelmed him just as the light in him was ignited. A strong flame gripped the titan's hands as Solar light travelled all across his body until he was completely engulfed with it. This time, there was no fear as Riley allowed the flames to consume him.

There was no longer any pain in his lower body as he felt the light heal his aches and broken bones. He felt ten times stronger, better than he had ever felt since his rebirth.

"W-what, Riley no!" Orion cried. "Don't give into its—"

Just as his Void Shield shattered into a million pieces, the titan felt the true potential of his light energise around him and he released it. A ring of flames burst from within and spread across the battlefield, stunning and throwing his enemies off their feet. Orion was swept along with the blast and thrown meters away where he collided against a cluster of rock and earth. At his feet, an abandoned shock blade rattled with life as he scooped it up. The blade ignited into flames almost immediately and was transformed into a sword of light. With his newly forged sword, Riley was reborn anew as he charged forward to the nearest vandal.

The Devils shrieked in fear and begun firing wildly at him in hopes to stem his rampage. But their bullets merely tickled him as he brushed them off with a shrug and hurled a flaming ball of light at their position. The orb of light exploded on impact and burned the Devils out of cover. When he was close enough, Riley slashed at a Dreg in half before turning his sword on a screaming vandal. The vandal was immediately silenced with a slash across its exposed neck.

At that moment, Lux and Evan had awoken painfully. The huntress hissed at her wounds and gripped her sides as she darted her eyes about, witnessing the carnage left behind by Riley. Her eyes widened as Evan stumbled to her side, helping her to stand.

"W-what is going on?" She asked the hunter who replied with a shake of his head.

"I don't…I've never seen a titan like that" mumbled Evan in disbelief. "Is that…Solar light?"

"Solar? Titans don't…?" Lux muttered through gritted teeth as she leaned heavily into Evan who tried to support her upright. "Something isn't right."

They watched in horror as Riley drop down on an unsuspecting Servitor and continued to pound it into pieces with his fist covered in flames. Even after the Servitor was dead, Riley continued to ignite the remnants of it with his light much to Lux's disbelief. Riley didn't stop there as he moved on to a poor dreg and sadistically slashed all its limbs off.

"He's out of control" Evan concluded and Lux screamed for him to stop.

But it was futile as Riley refused to listen and continued on his riot, wildly tossing burning sunspots about and scorching everything it touched.

"_This is bad…yes?"_ Korrik mumbled as he joined them. _"His light is strong, uncontrollable. He will die soon, like those before him."_

"Those before…him? What do you mean?" Lux demanded. "What are you talking about?"

The baron frowned and pointed, _"I've seen that light before. Once. What became of the guardian was no more."_

"What—?" before Evan could even question the baron, a large Skiff appeared and several Plagues dropped from above.

With them, their Kell Aviris appeared and baron Korrik raced to greet her. But his Kell ignored his presence completely and was already racing for the wild titan beating the crap out of a poor Vandal. Those around her allowed her to flee to the titan's side as they met up with the baron who demanded why she was running into the battle alone.

"_Our Kell says to get you to safety"_ came the reply of an Elder Vandal. _"She means to stop this."_

"_What? No!"_screamed the baron as he attempted to rush to her aid. However he was pushed back by his kin and held into place. The baron attempted to shrug out of their grips but was soon overpowered when two Captains joined the fray.

As Aviris neared the deranged titan, she exhaled slowly. The titan whirled on her and the two immediately locked eyes with one another. She replied to his silence by retrieving one of her shock blades and preparing for battle. The two clashed, sparks of Arc and Solar flaring into the air as they met weapons. Riley pushed the Kell back and swiped his sword at her head but Aviris was quick to twirl out of danger and counter him with a swing of her own weapon. Her blade connected his shoulder and left him stumbling to one side but Riley wasn't going to give up as he thrust his hand out and a wisp of Solar escaped. It hit the Kell in her stomach and left her reeling backwards in pain as it melted apart of her armour.

She frowned, baring her teeth together before dipping under one of his swings and elbowing him in the chin. Disorientated, Aviris followed up with a sharp jab at his stomach with one of her fists and he crumbled back, gasping for air.

He recovered quickly however and advanced on her, tossing his sword at her which cracked her helmet slightly. Then the titan slammed his blazing fist against her head and she was left stumbling to one side as he gripped her shock blades and ripped it from her hands. She however wouldn't allow him to get the upper hand and slogged him across the face as well. The blow resulted in him tumbling to the ground into a roll and dropping the shock blades in the process.

"They're even!" Evan exclaimed with a hint of excitement.

Lux frowned beside him, "this isn't good however…"

Riley gritted his teeth together and channelled some energy into his palms. He began flinging several explosive orbs of light at the Kell that left pools of flaming sunspots in their wake. Aviris was quick on her feet however and danced just out of reach from each attack. The more she evaded, the more Riley grew tired of sitting back and instead began advancing on her again. He dived for his sword and slashed viciously at her. Aviris barely managed to block the slash with her hard gauntlets before kicking Riley in the stomach. The titan was sent flying back a few feet into a roll, gasping for air once again.

Aviris narrowed her eyes at the wild titan who gathered himself for another attack. She eventually spotted her shock blades not too far and attempted to retrieve them but was intercepted by the titan. Riley broke into a run before sliding through the mud and slashing at her legs in order to stop her futile attempts.

Aviris however anticipated something like this and was quick to teleport out of his range to her weapons. Finally acquiring them, she whipped quickly on her heels to clash blades once more with Riley's sword.

More sparks flew as they locked weapons and were fighting to get the upper hand over the other. As Aviris pushed down on the titan, Riley channelled his energy into the palm of his hands and slammed it into Aviris' stomach. A blast of flames burned her and she screamed as she stepped away, brushing at the lingering flames that gripped her. She growled, angered at his attack but didn't allow such a small ordeal to stop her from attacking him once more.

Somewhere in the process of their fight, Aviris' feathered cape was burnt to a crisp and Riley lost most of his harden armour from her slashes. The two combatants however cared not for the small stuff and continued to attack one another.

"This is insane!" Lux cried in displeasure. "They're killing each other!"

"Ugh, where's my weapon when you need it?" Evan grumbled, briefly searching about for his missing weapon among the wreckage.

Eventually Riley grew tired of exchanging blows and decided to blast every inch of the place with flames in hopes of burning Aviris. Both Lux and Evan had to drop to the floor as one blast had barely missed their heads.

Evan waved an angry fist at him but Riley ignored everyone but the Kell in front of him.

The Kell growled at him as she managed to dodge the attacks and tried to slash at him some more. But Riley wasn't finished as this was just a simple trap. When Aviris was within his reach, having dodged his crafty repositioning of his sunspots, he gathered some light into his hands and hurled explosive orb right at the Kell. The fallen Kell took the brute of it, catching her by surprise as Riley then proceeded to charged her down; seizing his chance.

Aviris brought her blade up as he slammed his sword down at her but it was second too late as the sword slipped by her guard and into her shoulder.

She grunted, the blade sinking into her armour and burning pieces of it away with its hot fury. Riley laughed wickedly, raising his weapon up again and tore the shock blade out of her grip, leaving her defenceless. Aviris snarled at him and brought her gauntlets up to protect her vitals as Riley hacked at her violently.

"Stop!" Lux screamed, appalled at the ruthless display.

But Riley ignored her completely and continued to hack away at the Kell's shattering armour. Unable to hold out for much longer, Aviris attempted to break away from the vicious attack. She managed to kick the titan off her and quickly stumble to a stand just as he dived at her again, assaulting her with wild slashes and swipes with his word. She blocked them but knew her gauntlets were on the verge of breaking and it would be her end.

However she paused when one blow had sent her crumbling to one knee and another had cut solidly at her chest plate. She gritted her teeth and froze when a small light begun to gather at her hips. The light vibrated and almost sang to them before discharging rays of golden lights in their faces. Riley was blinded and screamed as she stumbled back.

Attempting to see pass the brilliant rays of light, Aviris felt a small object break free from her pocket and float up into the air. She reached out with one hand, struggling to grasp the small object before it soared away.

But the object was fast and it rocketed out of her reach towards the disorientated Riley.

The small object blasted an intense light in his face and he angrily swiped his sword at it. However the attack never landed as a sudden loud explosion of Solar light shrouded everything around them. Riley screamed. A sudden pain rose from within his chest and he collapsed to his knees and hands. He felt his powerful light that fuelled him was soon stripped from his very body. Devoured by the small shiny object before it released another powerful pulse of light. This time the explosion smacked him right in the head and he was launched a few feet backwards.

As he landed, his head collided right into a large boulder and knocked him unconscious.

* * *

**A/N: before you scream at me, let me tell you that I had thought about Riley's 'light' way before the announcement of TTK. Yes, it's meant to be the hammer (PRAISE THE SUN), I know. But none can deny that swords are pretty awesome. Don't worry. I'll have the hammer appear sooner or later once Riley gets his act together of course, haha!**

**The PIZZ4 GUY –** That's a …good attempt with your poem. Much better than I could do, haha. You read too far into the story, stop pls. Well this chapter makes up for those little bits of questions you had, haha. Deeply sorry for the delay in this chapter, hopefully it's juicy content makes up for it. Now if you want the next chapter faster, please kindly pay a monthly subscription of $500 with your soul attached to my account ******. :'D

**Bladed Raptorrrrrrrrrrrrr –** We slayed his son, mascaraed millions of his followers, used the flame prince as a means of entertainment for us in an arena and now we will wear Oryx's behind as a hat, next on TTK! Thanks so much for everything! I try to keep the grammar errors to a minimal by reading over it plenty of times, but a few errors always slip by, grr. Also, my English may be spelt differently for you Americans. With all the 'realise, realize' e.g. ways to spell things... Yesss, a lot of blood, sweat and tears this chapter! Hopefully to your liking of course! :D

**Countess of Monleigh -** -giggles like a school girl- yesss, Khallis is the bomb! I'm pretty sure I'd do the same if I was badass as Khallis and Ginevra. You are crazy, scary crazy. Haha, I feel bad now for not updating as frequently as I used to when I first started this story. I apologise greatly! FORGIVE MEEEE. –Grovels on the ground pitifully-


	16. XV - Reverberations in the abyssal pt3

**A/N: So the Taken King has eaten much of my free time now. Hence why this chapter was delayed for so long, that and procrastinating at its finest!**

_Italics_** are non-English languages.**

**Well, enjoy friends!**

* * *

_**Circle of War**__  
"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"_

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN - **_**Reverberations in the abyssal Part 3.**_

Akvar had awoken in a thick fog of darkness.

It surrounded him, consumed him but he was unable to smell, feel or hear it which puzzled him every time. The warlock was lying on his back in a swallow pitch pool of some black liquid. He assumed it was water but there was no way of checking as he pulled himself to his feet. Blinking his eyes he tried to call out to his Ghost but the only replies was his echoes.

It was the same place he had visited each night. A massive wall-less room filled with utter darkness. There were no lights, no souls and only the echoes of each of his screams and cries. Akvar brought a hand up to his face and tiredly rubbed his eyes. He had returned to this world once again so he must have fallen asleep in his workshop. Any moment now and Sigma would wake him now. He'd immediately shrug off the reoccurring dream then return to his work like it was any other day. Things would continue on.

But as time passed, the warlock grew restless of standing around waiting. What was taking Sigma so long to wake up? Unless, something had happened and his Ghost had left him to investigate it?

Puzzled, the warlock decided to take his dreams another step forward and brace the darkness. His feet immediately touched dry land and he wondered if the swallow waters were simply just a large puddle he was lying in. Whatever the case, he had moved from that step into the darkness of his dream.

Descending deeper into the unknown.

For a while he walked, listening to the sounds of his boots clicking on a marble surface. The world around him strange as there were no other sounds. What was this dream and why was it significant enough to emerge more than once? Then he heard it, or he thought he did. It was a soft barely audible whisper. The warlock reeled to a complete stop to listen further but the whisper was gone as soon as it came.

'…_vray…'_

Akvar decided to call out to the whisper but once again, his echoes were his only reply.

Baffled, the warlock continued again in one direction but this time, slowly. Then he heard it again. This time it was slightly louder but the warlock still had difficulties making out what the whisperer said.

'_Euu….o'….'_

Suddenly, in the distance, a tiny light flickered on. Akvar paused, narrowing his eyes at the odd fragment of light and wondered why it had ignited to life here and now. Cautiously, he stepped forward, walking towards the flickering tiny light. But as he walked, he noted that something was wrong with this lonesome light. He had been walking for quite some time now and yet the light had not grown an inch from what he could see. Were his eyes playing tricks on him?

It was only then did he realise that perhaps the light was fleeing from him. Running away with each step he took but to what end?

There was another whisper in the darkness that broke his train of thought and caused the warlock to tense up. He paused, ignoring the light and glanced about warily. While he waited the whisper came again, repeating its demands.

1* _'Lasvedr…Euuo'vray'_

The voice was louder now but strangely sounded like it had come from within his head. Akvar gritted his teeth together, a sudden stinging pain in his head. The voice screamed this time and its echo resonated painfully in his ears.

2* _'Bii'j Ki!'_

Something was in his head, in his body that caused the warlock to fall. He felt his knees buckle weakly and brought his hands out to stop himself from landing on his face. But the pain was unbearable, resonating from within his head and body at the same time. He felt like he was choking and it was then that he felt _it_. Something was crawling through his stomach, sliding and slipping about as it struggled for freedom from within his flesh. He gripped his stomach, he had a sudden urge to scratch at his stomach until the pain passed but it only intensified with each ticking second. Slowly, the entity within him slithered from his stomach up his throat until it was in his mouth. He spat it out, gagging at it until he realized what had come from inside him.

A large larva wiggled on the floor pitifully as it was surrounded by a thick layer of guck and saliva. Akvar shuffled back in disbelief and covered his aching mouth. It was big, wet from his saliva with three green glowing orbs for eyes and some menacing sets of little fangs. It wiggled about like a fish out of water and Akvar felt incredibly sick.

He wanted to vomit.

"What the f—" he wanted to scream but was cut short as the larvae turned its head and wiggled over to him.

The warlock climbed to a stand and raised his boot to crush the bug in one stomp but froze. Around him, other larvae were emerging from the depths of the ground. They screamed and wailed in unison, eyes staring hungrily at the warlock. Wiggling about, they quickly surrounded him. Akvar gawked at the sheer sight of them.

There were thousands if not millions collating on his position.

Akvar paled at the disgusting sight and whirled around, hoping for an escape from this nightmare. However he was unable to move as if something strong had gripped his legs. He stared down, seeing sharp clawed hands of bony pale white thralls gripping his legs tightly. They screeched and sank their teeth and nails into his boots and he screamed in pain. Their fangs were puncturing his boots deep into his skin. He felt the blood ooze out of his wound as they bit harder with each struggle he attempted to break free.

All the while, the worms were gaining up on him. As they crawled forward, they chanted in their language in harmony, the same words over and over. Sounding very much like the Hive's native language.

3* _'Euuo'vray, bii'j, lasvedr, jin'huura, huu'dr!'_

Eventually they reached him and the worms scaled up his body. Akvar kicked and punched, waving his arms about but was consumed by the massive hoard as he screamed. His voice was drowned out by their screeching as they suffocated him. Shrieking in his ears and filling his mind with their hunger and words. Everything felt so surreal that he thought for a second that this wasn't a dream. That he had been taken and thrown into a world the Hive called home. A world he knew would be his end if it were true.

4* '_Vs'ni uua mehadr mi mha'odr, Vs'ni uua Lasvedr!'_

A hand shot out from the depths of the flesh of the worms and gripped Akvar's head. Akvar's eyes snapped open and he felt the hand coil its nails into his skin. He knew that hand anywhere and reached out to grip it, feeling the bony flesh of his attacker. Then a familiar wave of power burst from the palm of the hand and the worms all dissolved into thin air, revealing the rest of his attacker's identity.

Xyor.

She had come to his dreams, invaded his space and transformed the entire room into her laboratory. Akvar gritted his teeth together, feeling betrayed. The wizard smiled wickedly under her mask and opened her mouth, words spilling from her lips as she seized his head tightly.

"_You are mine and mine alone"_ she said which confused the warlock as to how he could understand her without the support of his Ghost.

Her other long hand reached out and gripped him easily by the neck. He was lifted up off the ground as she ascended high into the air. Akvar thrashed violently against her hold struggling to breathe. He felt the tender skin on his neck penetrated by the wizard's nails, drawing enough blood to make him anxious.

"_You will be mine. I will have you."_

Akvar glared coldly at her, hatred blooming in him. He belonged to no one and there was no way he would submit to a Hive. Gripping her hand which was around his neck, Akvar mustered all his energy and sent sparks of void light from the palm of his hands. The bright purple mist crackled and discharged all across the wizard, burning her flesh as she screamed and dropped him. She disappeared in an instant as Akvar fell backwards into a deep into a deep pool of water.

Akvar closed his eyes as a wave of peace and serenity filled him. There were no more voices calling to him. No more pain in him. His once heavy body felt lighter now. He was floating and the world around him was calmly silent.

When he opened his eyes again however, he found he was sitting awkwardly in a chair with his head resting in his arms. The warlock blinked several times before raising his head and scanning the room.

His workshop was empty of life as usual.

A large glass panel in the ceiling allowed moonlight to stream in were the only source of light illuminating the room that day. Akvar glanced up and can still see the galaxy in the sky and more than millions of burning stars glowing high in the sky. He grimaced and recalled that he had been working since the morning on the EXO that day. Now it was nightfall and he had wasted probably hours of work because of sleep.

But that was beside the point. What mattered now was the surreal dream he had.

Rarely did he dream anything besides that wall-less room of darkness. And now it had progressed to involving the Hive. Akvar covered his mouth and thought he could still taste the slime of the worm's body in his mouth. He shook his head. His mind must be playing tricks on him. But the more he thought about it, the more concerned he became.

Maybe it wasn't just a simple dream?

Maybe the Hive were trying to communicate to him and that wizard had finally been able to enter his dream forcefully. Did that little 'ceremony' had more to it than simply gifting him powers? Akvar raised his hands and allowed an orb of black mist to envelope in the palm of his hands. He stared at it for a long while, debating just how much more hidden secrets he had yet to uncover with the Hive.

Akvar groaned and ran a hand through his hair before getting up. He would have to question Dredgen Yor about the ceremony. With a yawn, the warlock stretched his tired arms and called for his Ghost. The small entity entered through a side door, hovering over slowly. If he had not been slumbering in the confinements of the warlock's armour then he must have been keeping the Vex in check in his absence.

"How long was I out?" Akvar inquired and the Ghost shook its wings in response.

"Eleven hours and twelve minutes" Sigma replied before hovering over to his workbench to analysis his progress. "You had not gotten any sleep since two days ago, master."

It was true.

Akvar had a tendency to skip meals and breaks all for the pursuit of knowledge. He was vastly fascinated with SERP-27 internal workings and spent days tinkering with it. Trying to test its reflexes and how the Golden Age had brought about such a marvellous creation. What fascinated him more was that SERP-27 almost had a human like conscious in his memories. He doubted, feared and acted on emotions that weren't even possible in Frames.

The more he thought about the EXO the more he was eager to get back to work and continued to discover its secrets. But the warlock steered himself away from such urges and concentrated on another important matter at hand. He had questions ready to roll out for the Hive affiliated hunter to answer.

Before the warlock could open his mouth, his Ghost made several small beeping sounds and darted its eye towards the door.

"Adelia, Tetra and Hayden have returned with another…wait is that a Hive?" his Ghost said.

"Hive?"

Akvar frowned.

Did Sigma say there was a Hive with the trio of guardians he had sent to Earth? He recalled briefly that he had sent them on another separate mission some time ago. How long ago that was, the warlock couldn't be too sure. But why have they picked up a Hive with them? Unless it had something to do with Hayden…

Eventually the door to his workshop slid open and Hayden came running in, his helmet torn off to reveal a concerning expression. Behind him, a Wizard followed. Sigma quickly summoned a small sum of Vex within the room just as Hayden skidded to a stop. He brought his weapon up on reflexes as Akvar raised his hand to stop Sigma from commanding the Vex into action. The Vex froze just as the Hive affiliated pair trained their weapons warily on them.

"That's enough Sigma" Akvar sighed and ordered the Vex away. Sigma hesitated but eventually dismissed the Vex as they were quickly swallowed up by the smoky purple cloud they had come from seconds ago. "You'll have to forgive us. We rarely get Hive visitors here on Venus…"

Hayden nodded his head cautiously and lowered his weapon. "Er yeah."

"And she is?" Akvar said eyeing the Wizard.

The female Hive returned his calculating stare and lowered her arms. The sparks of magic dispelling from her fingertips instantly.

"Yizuel, Yul Spawn" Hayden said, "She insisted to come with me."

"I take it you've have matters to deal with at the moon at one point?"

"I wasn't aware I had to explain my actions every time I was out of your company, but yes" the ex-guardian said with a deep sigh. "A meeting of the Disciples of Crota were summoned. Not a matter I could just ignore."

Akvar nodded his head, rubbing his hands together. "You can tell me another time. Explain why you have come to me in a hurry and where are the twins?"

"Ah! That's right" he cried. "Enemies are on route to the Forest of Whispers. We decided to separate. They went to engage them while I relayed the message to you."

The Forest of Whispers was an enormous white forest where time stood still and no noise besides the rumbling of the earth shifting were their first line of defence against any intruders. The forest though beautiful, was corrupted and often unforgiving to those it deems unworthy. It was a maze of white trees that roamed and shifted to confuse its prey. The entire area was covered in a thick layer of darkness and a poisonous mist that when inhaled, turned many raving mad. It was with his powers and the Vex that Akvar had been able to create such a deadly domain. And now it was threatened and he would not stand around as raiders attempted to skip through it.

He would make sure they would regret their decision.

"Hayden is correct. Numerous Vex are reporting several guardians are attempting to enter our region. Three…four, no, six guardians. They're breaching the first section as we speak." Sigma informed a moment later, checking quickly over the many signals the Vex had corresponded to him.

Akvar frowned and pointed to the hunter, "very well. Join the twins and get them. Leave no prisoners alive. Sigma, fortify the base and send as much reinforcements to the frontlines as possible. If they do manage to conquer the maze, stop them at all cost."

The hunter nodded quickly and darted out of the room with his Wizard friend in tow. Sigma quickly adjusted his wings and ran several commands to the Vex under his control. The warlock took a moment to collect his thoughts, deciding he would deal with the dream some other time. He strolled casually over to his workbench then retrieved his discarded helmet and weapons.

"Master, something else has come up" Sigma said. The warlock quickly checked over his weapons, making sure there were enough rounds in his handcannon to go. He looked up briefly at his Ghost which had hovered over to him and settled down on his work bench. "The distress signal you had placed in the Vault of Glass—several guardians have responded to it."

Akvar smiled, "oh? How far have they've gone?"

"They've just breached the main entrance."

The warlock's smile turned into a wicked smirk. "I think it's time for me to pay these intruders a visit then."

With that, the warlock prepared himself for war.

* * *

Evan sighed nosily in their small enclosure as he leaned back against the wall and wrapped his cloak tightly around his body. He shivered slightly, feeling naked without his weapons and bulky armour his body usually adored when out on the field. Besides him, Lux was lying beside him, attempting to get some shut eye. However, such a task had proven to be harder than anticipated. Lux groaned and rolled over, greeted by Evan's wide smirk.

"Can't sleep?" he chimed with a wink.

The huntress rolled her eyes and pushed his face away, "save it for Ginevra."

Evan laughed openly at this and tugged his cloak further up his chest, "I am. Once we get out of this, gonna go spend some quality time with her."

"Oh?" Lux said, perking up at his words. "Finally going to confess your feelings for her? Sure she won't accept you out of pity?"

The hunter snorted, "you really think that?"

Lux shrugged her shoulders and rubbed her tired eyes. The lack of sleep and food was finally getting to her and she would kill to be back at the Tower now. "You are pretty pitiful."

"Ouch, that hurts, Luxeen…"

The huntress narrowed her eyes at him but decided against using her fist this time to respond. Instead she turned away from the hunter and stared intently at their only access to freedom. A single metal door that slid open had been locked automatically after they were urged into the room. She sighed, why had they become prisoners to the House of Plagues?

"So, why are we locked up here again? Thought we saved the day?" Evan said aloud. Lux blinked and glanced over her shoulders, wondering how he was able to read her mind somewhat.

"Maybe the Plagues don't like you?"

"Then why are you in here too?" Evan countered.

The huntress bit her lip and clenched her fist tightly together. She had walked right into that and mentally kicked herself for giving Evan the upper hand. She muttered angrily at him, "collateral damage."

Evan laughed wickedly at this and smacked his knees with his hands as Lux's cheeks flushed red. He pointed at her, telling her how foolish that sounded and she responded with a swift punch in his shoulders. Though her punch stung, his laughing didn't lessen until a full minute had passed. After a while, the two fell into silence and began staring about. Eventually, Evan mustered some energy to stand up and stretch his arms.

"Think we can break it?" the hunter asked whilst pointing at the metal doors.

"Doubt it" Lux said and shook her head sadly, "we don't have any weapons with us."

"That's never stopped me."

"We've nothing to gain breaking out anyway" countered the huntress once again. "They have Riley with them."

"Oh, right." Evan replied and frowned deeply.

As much as Lux hated waiting around, the pair had no choice. They were injured, barely able to put up a fight when they were taken to their cells within the Fallen's Ketch. It surprised the two guardians when the Kell ordered Korrik to detain them. At first they shouted and kicked, struggling against the Fallen and almost succeeded until Korrik quickly whispered to them to stop. Though he didn't explain, the baron made sure to tell them that they meant no harm. Evan was convinced but Lux felt like the Fallen's action could be explained easily.

They were taken into a Skiff then transferred into the large Ketch. Inside it was a maze of halls and rooms occupied by many of the Plagues. Many of which growled and snarled at the sight of them. Evan made faces at them at one point until Lux kicked him and urged him not to provoke them. As they were shoved into a barely lit cell in an almost abandoned section of the Ketch, Riley was taken to another part of the Ketch which they presumed was the medical wing. Some hours had passed and the pair was forced to entertain themselves, talking in depth about several things.

At first their conversations were light but as time progressed, Lux learned that Evan wasn't always a joker.

They engaged in several serious topics concerning the overall situation of the Tower and their struggles against invading forces. Then they talked a bit about history and what knowledge they had discovered from those guardians before them. Evan had a fascinating tale of how he met Ginevra and also most of his travels across the planet. Lux, though unable to recall much of her past informed him that she too had an adventurous journey across the world.

More than three hours had passed before the Ketch finally touched ground. The landing was rough but the pair of guardians braced themselves well as the last of the Ketch's thrusters were shut off. With the engine dead, the Fallen moved about, creating a large commotion outside. Evan climbed to a stand just as the metal doors slide open to reveal the baron Korrik and a small band of Fallen guards behind him.

"Oh, Fallen baron!" Evan greeted, clapping his hands together. "Gonna spring us out now?"

The baron growled and darted his eyes behind him quickly. Both Evan's and Lux's Ghosts floated into the room, feeling a little nervous as they joined their handlers. Lux sat up and reached out to delicately embrace her Ghost who made several noises of relief. She was glad he was unharmed and knew her Ghost was relieved to see her well also.

"Is everything fine, Gonk?" she inquired and the Ghost bobbed up and down awkward.

"Yes!"

She smiled and nodded her head just as Evan inquired the condition of his own Ghost. Zeta grumbled at the Fallen as they were a bit rough on them. She then complained that most of them really needed to bathe once in a while which earned a cold snarl from the Plagues. Evan laughed nervously and swatted at his Ghost who snapped at him. Lux smiled, though they were a little rattled, it seemed like they were in good condition overall.

"_Come, we leave the Ketch now"_ Korrik said and turned on his heels, already exiting the small cell.

Evan nodded his head to his Ghost and quickly helped Lux off the ground as well. The pair gathered their discarded armour and cloaks before following the baron down the hallway. An escort of Fallen guards surrounded them promptly and Evan grimaced, whispering how awkward it was to be sandwiched between the Fallen with no weapons to fight them with. Lux gave him a look and remained silent as they walked.

"Where is Riley? Is he fine?" Lux inquired after a while of silence.

The baron snarled at her, his eyes warily watching every shadow as they passed many doors and other Fallen loitering in the halls. _"Your friend sleeps still. Heavily injured and his body still burns."_

"What?"

"_We Eliksni have done what we can. Only fever remains but time will heal him"_ Korrik explained and worked to get the pair out of the Ketch.

"Eliksni?" Evan inquired curiously.

The baron nodded his head, _"you call us Fallen, yes? We are Eliksni, proud noble race. Not the Fallen."_

"Ah, well you can't blame us. You guys were more of shoot first and ask questions later type of people." Evan shrugged and the baron shook his head. "That reminds me, where are our weapons?"

The baron grimaced and pointed to a long hallway ahead._ "You will get them later when we are outside."_

"What? Still scared we'd slit your throats?"

The baron grunted at the hunter's remark and shook his head, _"you will not get far."_

"That a challenge?" he grinned.

"Evan, stop it!" grumbled the huntress as she shoved him.

Evan laughed and quickly confirmed that he was joking around but the escorts of Fallen weren't convinced. If anything, the grip on their weapons only tightened and they were quickly asseting the pair for any sudden movements that posed any form of danger to them. Lux frowned deeply.

Eventually they disembarked the large Ketch and a cool breeze swept across their faces. It was nightfall when they had landed and the sky was alive with many Skiffs finding spots to land. Lights blinked rapidly in the distance as a path of glowing small lanterns lit the way across a vast field. Lux inhaled the crispy cool air and attempted to stretch her arms as Evan took moments to collect his thoughts.

Outside, the Fallen were busily setting up a protective perimeter. Groups of three to four teams were sent out on patrol runs, scouting out the area for any signs of danger. Others were given several smaller to large tasks that took them all about the place. Fallen walkers were roused from their long dormant slumber to aid in the patrol. A few unique land mobiles were also assembled. Some of which were familiar to the guardians as they watched the Fallen actively worked.

As captains and barons continued to instruct the lower ranked Fallen into action, Lux glanced towards a massive building to the right. The large building was poorly maintained and eroding from the inside out. More than half its walls were crumbling, revealing floors of weak craftsmanship.

It seemed like it had been many years ago until anyone had used this place. As Korrik urged the guardians to follow, Lux noted the architectural design of the building. If she had to guess, it seemed more like a dormitory or institution of sorts.

"Can we see Riley now?" Lux inquired.

"_Soon…"_

Evan smirked at her, "you're worried about him that much? More than a friend…yeah?"

The huntress glared at him and elbowed his sides sharply. He laughed it off and quickened his pace to follow the baron. As they approached the massive complex, the guardians had already noted that there were several old pitched tents and crates lying around. It seemed the dregs and vandals were incredibly fast in getting everything set up. Or perhaps most of their stuff was here already?

"_This place here was once House of Plagues home. That was a very long time ago. Now we return" _Korrik explained and was interrupted mid-step by a vandal. The vandal quickly relayed a message then scrambled off. The hunters both exchanged puzzling looks and waited for the baron to take charge once again.

"Are you sure your uh, friends, house—is safe here?" Evan asked a little sceptical.

"_We will live, survive and make this place ours again"_ Korrik said confidently as he stepped into the massive foyer. Inside, the Fallen were carefully inspecting every inch of the place. Many rushed by with crates and such in hand, whilst others took some time to carefully check over old gear that had been abandoned when they fled. The entire interior was vastly untidy, appearing as if a tornado had swept into the place and thrown chairs and tables all about. It seemed ill conditions to house anyone or thing but the House of Plagues were making the most of what they had.

Ignoring the chaotic state of the building, the baron pressed forward. The two were shown into a white eroding room filled with metal stretchers and beds. A few dregs and vandals were found in this room, moving gear about. They bowed lowly to Korrik who returned their respect with a firm nod as he entered the room. He beckoned the pair into the room and pointed to a low bed to the other side of the room.

Lux hurried forward and the pair of hunters was at the edge of the bed, relieved to see their comrade safe and sound.

The occupant of the bed was none other than their missing comrade, Riley. His head was wrapped up in some new bandages and most of the smaller cuts and bruises were patched up nicely. He had a few sweat beads cascading down his forehead and cheek which Lux reached out to wipe away. Upon contact with his skin, she hastily retracted her hand and frowned. He was burning up. The fever was consuming him and caused his expression to change. He looked deeply in pain and the huntress bit her lips.

"_You will stay here until my Kell is ready to speak with you"_ Korrik said and turned on his heels.

As the baron left, Evan found a chair and pulled it up for the huntress. She thanked him and collapsed tiredly into it. Worriedly, she glanced around the room just as a dreg came forward with a bowl of cool water and a rag. Evan took the bowl, smiling at the dreg who stared blankly at him for a moment before scrambling back to his friends. Using the water and rag, Lux commenced to cooling Riley's heated face down.

"Think we should get him to the Tower ASAP?" Evan asked.

Lux sighed, nodding in agreement. "He has a better chance at the Tower than here. The Fallen have helped to some degree…but it might not be enough."

"There's also the question about what happened to him" Evan remarked and noted on the bedside table some of Riley's gear had been neatly placed there. He waltzed over and inspected the titan's gear carefully. His armour and weapons were present and though a little scratched, still operational. There were also a few other miscellaneous items present that weren't noteworthy besides an old faded journal with scratched markings on it. Before the hunter could inspect this artefact, his eyes immediately caught someone to his right.

It was Riley's Ghost, lying inactive besides the journal.

"Orion?" Evan inquired as Lux's head perked up to the name.

Scooping up the deactivated Ghost, Evan shook it lightly and attempted to awaken it once again by calling out its name some more. However the various actions seemed to have done little but rattle the inner workings of the Ghost. A moment later, Evan's Ghost materialised in front of him, eager to aid in the revival of the downed entity. His Ghost took one look at her handler then moved over to scan the downed Ghost in Evan's hands.

"What seems to be the problem with Orion?" Evan inquired.

His Ghost named Zeta made several odd sounds and shook its body. "It appears he is in comatose stasis. His condition may be directly associated to his handler's."

"Wait, what?" Evan stammered in disbelief.

"What do you mean?" Lux said, climbing to a stand.

Zeta narrowed her single eye at the pair of hunters before floating over to Riley's slumbering form. She scanned him quickly then analysed the data she had recovered and calculated the best conclusion to her readings.

"What I am saying is that Orion's condition mimics Riley's. They're both in an induced coma. They won't recover for a while."

* * *

1* "Light…Hungry"  
2* "Feed me!"  
3* "Hungry, feed, light, devour, ours!"  
4* "Give us what we want, give us light!"

**Sonizzia (AKA Sonic5565) – **Evan is too OP, bungie please nerf. I was concerned that I may have some hardcore fans in the mix here. Good to know there isn't any besides a lore crazy hunter here. Haha. Valriks in this will be too OP. She will obliterate everything and everyone. =)

**The Bladed Raptor –** My friend, that is one very, very strange song. There's something very wrong with it, especially the killing part haha! I'll be hoenst here, Aviris and Riley being a match has crossed my mind a few times. However, I'm unsure if I wanna go that way since I had some other things planned for Riley. *COUGHCOUGHONESIDEDCRUSHCOUGHCOUGH* Was this chapter rewarding enough for you, mate? Did I surprise you enough?

**ZealousZebra –** Hey, mate. You deserve that reward and as such, I shall mail you a lifetime supply of strange coins that you will never receive as I can't possible acquire such rarities. Oh well. Haha may I guess that it has something to do with COD? No? Just me? Okay…also, a lot of my fans actually think the size of chapters aren't enough. Will you believe that, huh?


	17. XVI - Seconds to kill

**A/N: HAPPY B-LATE NEW YEARS AND CHRISTMAS! AND SORRY FOR DISAPPEARING AND THE FEELS INDUCED IN THIS CHAPTER!**

**ENJOY FRIENDS!**

* * *

_**Circle of War**__  
"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"_

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN -**_**Seconds to Kill.**_

She was on the verge of death.

Her body ached all over and she could barely walk as she collapsed against a cluster of hard rocks and pebbles. Her heart was beating so hard in her chest that she found it difficult to breath. There was a stinging pain in her sides as blood oozed out from a large bullet wound there. She was beaten, bruised, weak and broken. What little will she had left in her to survive was on the verge of crumbling as she began sobbing.

She was alone now. Her team of six were all killed, leaving her to fend for herself.

More than half her team were obliterated by the Templar's might. The rest barely managed to flee but shortly after in the Gorgon's Labyrinth, they were separated. Their signals were disrupted. A jammer of sorts was breaking any forms of contact between each other. She wasn't sure how long she had walked around aimlessly. How long she's been hiding from the Gorgons but eventually the huntress could hear her fireteam's final screams as they were killed. It echoed across the entire place, making her heart stop instantly. She knew she was the sole survivor from then on. When she had finally located their bodies in the hopes of retrieving their Ghosts, she was startled to see that they had not been erased. Their bodies were still warm, recently slain and their flesh punctured with bullet holes.

But the Gorgons did not use live rounds to kill their target? Not from what was believed to be perceived by past expeditions into the Vault.

Her questions however were answered when a gun was fired and she was knocked to the ground. A bullet lodged in her sides, the huntress knew someone other than the Gorgons had killed her teammates from then on. She barely managed to crawl into cover as she tried to see where the bullet had originated from. On top of a ledge was a warlock and in his hand was a loaded handcannon. Its barrel still hot and smoking from the first bullet.

But he wasn't part of her team she realised.

The huntress knew that something was wrong with this particular warlock. He took one look about then raised two Ghosts in his hand. A chill run down the huntress' spine as she recognised the two Ghosts belonging to her fallen comrades. Then she watched in horror as the last pieces of hope for her comrades to live again were destroyed before her. The warlock had tossed the two entities into the air and fired a single round into each of them. The Ghosts were shattered beyond repair as they were scattered all around.

Anger flared in the huntress and she pulled her own handcannon out, ready to take vengeance for her friends. She popped out of cover, raised her gun but was unable to pull the trigger as the warlock had disappeared from the ledge she had last seen him in.

Horrified, the huntress searched about feverishly for the warlock only to have another bullet knock her weapon from her hand. She screamed, dropping to a roll as more bullets pelted her location. Using a boulder for cover, the huntress braced herself as more rounds slowly chipped at it. She only had a sniper rifle left, having lost her primary recently. Her heavy light machinegun was long abandoned when she fled the Templar and now with just a measly sniper on her back, she knew her chances were slim.

Seconds later, the rain of bullets stopped and it was eerily quiet. The huntress dared to peek out from her cover only to see that she was alone once again. Moments later her Ghost was quick to inform her to make an escape now that they had a chance.

She couldn't agree more as she darted her eyes about, searching for more cover to make a break for it. As she mustered up some energy, the huntress informed her Ghost to attempt to contact the vanguards about their mission. That the mission to conquer the Vault was butchered and she was the sole survivor that needed assistance ASAP. Her Ghost bobbed up and down, already working on connecting to the vanguards as best as he could.

She must have been running around for more than ten minutes until she had crashed at a cluster of rocks and pebbles. Now drained of energy and losing more blood than she could count, much of her resolve to survive and fight another day was leaving her. The maze had tricked her, obscuring the path back from where'd she came. Now she was trapped in an endless loop and she couldn't even tell if she had made any progress trying to escape the warlock. Slowly, she closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of her heavy breathing.

"Pitiful" echoed a male's voice.

The huntress' eyes fluttered open immediately and she pulled herself away from the ground, searching the darkness of the labyrinth. Was paranoia playing with her mind? Did she really hear a voice? Seconds ticked by and she grew more wary. She grabbed at her sniper rifle tensely, holding it closely to her body as her Ghost appeared besides her.

"Allow me to end your misery" said the voice again.

This time the huntress knew it wasn't her mind. She decided to run again but her legs refused to move and she ending up buckling down into the ground again with a yelp of surprise. On all fours, the huntress groaned nosily. Her body refused to function in such a severe condition. She knew she was done for. Eventually the crunch of boots on gravel and stone were heard and she warily turned her head. Behind her she could see the warlock walking towards her but then her visions blurred and she was seeing double.

"We have to go!" Her ghost cried hysterically but as much as the huntress tried to move, her body failed her.

She collapsed on her stomach into the dirt and stone and she groaned painfully. Her body had reached its limit—she was done for.

Her eyes locked onto the warlock as he raised his weapon and fired a bullet. Though she couldn't see it, she knew the bullet had just destroyed her Ghost. Some pieces of her Ghost landed on her back and she felt the entire weight of the situation came crashing down on her. She was dead. She knew it and that didn't stop her from pleading to the Traveller for a miracle.

It was a foolish thought and she cried openly.

The warlock held his head for a moment, squeezing it before sneering at her pathetic cries of agony and raised his handcannon once more.

"Silence, worm" said the warlock and pulled the trigger.

* * *

It had been a while since they had last returned to the Last City.

Dropping into the tower, Evan and Lux uneasily stretched their aching arms and legs. As much as they wished to return to the comfort of their beds after indulging in some real freshly made food, the pair knew that their mission wasn't exactly over.

"This the right place?" Evan inquired after a moment.

Lux surveyed her surroundings carefully and nodded her head after a moment. They had landed in an exact replica of the Guardian's Tower, only this replica was old and desolate. The vanguards called it, Bannerfall. There was a war here once, between two fractions from what Lux recalled. Now she knew that this Tower was simply used for one of the many Crucible tournaments and games host by Lord Shaxx. The tower still held the scars of the old long forgotten battles and Lux was largely fascinated about discovering its hidden history.

"Yep" she said as she spotted a strange green faded insignia on one of the walls. It almost looked like a titan's fist but before she could hurry over to confirm her suspicions, the Fallen Skiff behind her exhaled nosily.

She turned, forgetting completely that they had used the Eliksni's Skiff to reach this place. The Skiff shifted in the air, hovering above them as they quickly rushed out of the way for the Eliksni to drop. Slowly, several of them dropped from above, landing smoothly to the ground and clenching their guns firmly in their hands. They were uneasy from what Lux could tell and she couldn't blame them.

To be dragged in enemy's territory with no back-up? That would make anyone anxious.

Moments later, another dozen poured from the Skiff and a large baron accompanied them. Korrik had been assigned to join them and become the Kell of Plagues' emissary. He wasn't all too pleased at first but agreed to be there for them.

It had been a little over a week after leaving the House of Plagues' new base of operation. It took far too long when waiting for a chance to make an audience with the Kell of Plagues and that was before the House of Plagues were finished with the Funeral Pyre for the fallen members of their house.

Korrik had been their company and explain the tradition of lighting fires for the fallen soldiers of the Eliksni. It was an old long forgotten tradition that the Plagues tried fervently to pass on to their younger generations. A fiery funeral for those fallen warriors was what Korrik described it.

The Kell had been present as well but was unreachable. They spent the day watching numerous fires ignite on the massive field, smothered by the great smoke and fire that still blazed across the country. A motivating speech was given by the Kell soon after, followed by the cheers and determined screams from their house. Once that was done, the guardians returned to the medical ward and convinced Korrik to allow them a chance to meet the Kell. They still had to return to the tower to get medical attention for Riley.

"You never really told us why you guys fell out of favour with the Kings?" Evan suddenly inquired, earning a curious stare from the baron.

The baron mumbled something incoherent before nodded his head. _"Many Moons ago, we were once part of small House. We held no name, only small numbers. Specialty in blade and stealth."_

"That much we knew of" Lux said eyeing the few stealth vandals inspecting their shock blades for faults.

"_Yes, then when great Whirlwind ravaged all houses—"_

"Great Whirlwind?"

"_The…darkness"_ mumbled the baron.

"Sorry, continue please" Lux quickly suggested, feeling a little embarrassed she had interrupted the baron from his tale. However the baron did not seemed at all concern for her questions and quickly located where he was up to in his story.

"_We fled from home. Devils insist we join them, but our Kell was proud. Too prideful. We became House of Plagues. Kings and Devils were not pleased but old Kell helped them and we survived."_

"This Kell was Aviris?"

The baron shook his head hastily, _"old Kell was a fool. Kell Aviris, she cut him down and took up our banner."_

"And sometime after that you got involved with a guardian?" Lux inquired, wondering how the unnamed guardian who resembled Riley's condition came to play in their story.

The baron frowned, his eyes staring through the two guardians with worry. Eventually he nodded his head, deciding to tell them now that they had come here.

"_Once, we made home near Kings and Devils. Kings gave us mission to hunt the Maw and—"_

"What are the Maw?" Evan interrupted.

The baron gave the hunter an odd look but then realised that their translation was entirely different from the human race. A low growl escaped his lips as he tried to recall what the humans called them now.

"_Hive…"_

"Oh, well that's an interesting name…"

"Quiet, Evan!" Lux snapped and nudged his sides roughly. The hunter nodded his head with a slight smirk but remained silent. Satisfied, the huntress urged the baron on, "please, continue Korrik."

"_Our Kell led charge. We attacked many of their tunnels, infiltrating. The Maw however have weak tunnels and most collapsed. Many Eliksni fall, our Kell too. My team searched for her for long time. Fighting always. Then we discover abandoned ship of humans. Of guardians crashed into tunnel. No occupants."_

"What's a guardian's ship doing deep in the tunnels of the Hive?" Lux wondered deeply.

Evan shrugged at this, "I'm more puzzled about _how_ it even got in there in the first place."

"_I know not but soon we found our Kell fighting the Maw with a guardian. We joined the fight, side by side with guardian. When finish, the guardian did not shoot us. He said some things and quickly left. I wanted to pursue but my Kell stopped us. She never talked about it and we left for home, victory assured."_

"That guardian, was the same one you guys mentioned before?"

The baron nodded his head to the huntress and sighed through his teeth. _"Dixon Sheppard."_

"Oh? You know" Evan spoke up once again as he fished for something in his pocket. All eyes were on the hunter as he struggled for a moment before finally pulling out an old damaged small book. He held it out and Lux curiously stared at it. "I found this among Riley's stuff. It's apparently this Dixon's guy's journal. Same guy?"

"What?" cried the huntress as she snatched the journal out of his hand and flipped it carefully open. Her eyes were immediately glued to the contents of the journal as Evan chuckled at her hunger for knowledge.

"It's pretty interesting. Dixon was one hell of a badass titan. He's been through several incredible strikes, located various Vex temples and even obliterated a Cabal outpost on his own. Only problem is…further into his entries, he became fascinated with the Fal—uhh, Eliksni and then he skipped like a dozen days and weeks before writing again."

Lux's head snapped up, her eyes narrowing at the hunter.

"Oh, I only skimmed the last couple of parts but he kept writing about some chick, incredible light and occasional emotional rollercoaster rides. He doubts himself to be uh, safe? And goes on talking about 'shouldn't be here', 'will endanger others again', '_she_ is always stopping me' or something like that. Really wacked up job. Check the last page. It's just a mess of scribbles that don't make any sense."

The huntress quickly located the last page and true to what Evan had said, the pages were marked with messy scribbles that formed no words whatsoever. It seemed like a child had taken a pencil in hand and just scratched at the pages with it, creating frustrating lines all over. Lux figured by now, his state of mind was tipping drastically.

"_Dixon found us many Moons before we claimed Rome"_ Korrik said, interrupting the guardians. _"For long time, he came to us, searching for knowledge. He had wanted to know about the Great Machine and many other things."_

"I take it that was the Traveller, right?"

The baron nodded his head to Evan almost immediately, _"We were unsure but our Kell decided to converse with the guardian. And eventually he stayed with us, helping us rebuilt our small House. Then the Maw came and he helped defend us. But by then, Dixon was changed. His light was too strong and he died with his little machine. Now it is my Kell's treasure."_

"This treasure is his Ghost right? But it was active for a moment when Riley was fighting your Kell?" Lux wondered and the baron shrugged.

"_My Kell has expressed her great concern for her treasure. However it is dead once again, unable to burn like it did before."_

"That's strange…"

"Wait, so Dixon threw a kamikaze?" Evan smirked only to be disappointed that both Lux and the baron did not know what he was talking about. With a deep sigh, he urged the baron to continue but Korrik wasn't sure what more he could say.

"So I take it, from then on Rome happened?" Lux concluded soon after.

"_Yes. Our spies found knowledge that Kings would cast us away. Destroy our banner. Turn our House to ashes after use. We were expandable and not needed. My Kell was not happy."_

Evan smirked widely, "is she ever happy?"

Before the baron could reply, Lux punched him square in the shoulder and the hunter tumbled backwards from the crate he had been sitting on. He stared at her, flabbergasted and she shook her head annoyingly at him.

Korrik ignored the remark and quickly turned his eyes to the sky as several Jumpships broke orbit into their line of vision.

Lux climbed to a stand as Evan quickly approached the railing, leaning forward as the ships circled the ruined tower once before finding space in the air to sit. Several guardians armed with weapons landed into the tower and the Eliksni reared their weapons, training them on the band of strangers. Evan and Lux jumped between them and waved their arms about, trying to dispel the uneasiness between the two races.

"Whoa, hey, hold up!" Evan cried. "You guys need to calm down. We're all cool here!"

A female titan, leading the charge of newly spawned guardians eased back slightly and nodded her head at the hunters.

"The Vanguards couldn't make it" said the female titan and summoned her Ghost. Her purple ghost hovered into the air and quickly assembled a large holographic image of the Hall of Guardians where the Vanguards were usually found at their spots. All three vanguards had gathered and the Hall was closed off to prevent anyone from entering. "Instead, they will be communicating here, like so."

"Well that's a bit…" Evan started to mumble but shut his mouth as Lux threw him a quick glare.

"_We have been waiting long"_ Korrik started and stepped forward.

"We did not mean to keep you waiting, Fallen" Ikora said as she counted the numbers of Fallen present.

"They're Eliksni" Evan said quickly, "not the Fallen."

"Eliksni? Got a good ring to it, I like it" Cayde-6 chipped in earning an odd stare from the warlock vanguard. "Well, Lux and Evan. Good job getting these guys here. But where's Riley? You said he needed to be transferred immediately to the medical ward?"

"Out cold on the Skiff" Evan shrugged and turned to see that Korrik had already arranged for his some Eliksni to take Riley out from their ship.

A few more moments of struggling and Riley was handed off to the guardians. They said nothing as they loaded him up in a stretcher into one of the many larger Jumpships and he was gone from their sights. Lux watched the Jumpship ascend into the sky and turned towards the general direction of the Tower. She worried greatly for the titan. However now that he was in the guardian hands, she knew he would be fine.

"Wait, I don't see the Kell of Plagues anywhere?" Cadye sudden said, leaning forward towards them. Ikora sighed and shoved his face out of the way so that they were still in view of the projection.

"_My Kell has other matters to deal with, I will speak for her."_ Korrik explained and the vanguards nodded their heads.

Evan folded his arms over his chest, his mind wondering off as the vanguards quickly started off with a rather expressive 'welcome to the last City and thank you for coming' speech. The baron however accepted the kind gesture and they were quickly diving into dire topics. Commander Zavala was rather blunt with his statement but asked to forge an unbreakable alliance with the Plagues. He also offered protection, a new base of operation near the Last City and supplements of Ether.

In exchanged, they wanted any knowledge and their aid in fighting the darkness. The deal was rather generous but the Korrik knew that his Kell would turn down the offer of a new base. They had just recently fortified their own and it wasn't that far from the Last City at all. The bonus of Ether was a nice addition that Korrik knew would aid them in their shortage so far.

"_You have your alliance, guardians"_ Korrik eventually agreed and the vanguards smiled, sealing the deal with words of gratitude.

"Now that that is covered, we'll need to establish a beacon in your area to allow communication between us." Ikora decided and Cadye raised his hand in the air like a child.

"Oh, oh, pick me! I'll get my best hunters to cover that."

Ikora rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling at him, "and now we need to inform the guardians and the Speaker and the other fractions of the changes."

Commander Zavala nodded his head firmly, his arms crossing over his chest in a stern and stiff manner he was known for. "Excellent job Lux and Evan, we'll have one of the guardian to escort you back to the Tower."

"Oh I could go for a nice meal right about now" Evan said whilst rubbing his stomach to empathise his hunger. Lux laughed and the two begun walking over to a male warlock that beckoned them to follow him. A couple of steps into their walk and Lux paused to glance back to the House of Plagues. Korrik was still conversing with the vanguards and as much as she liked to stay, she knew that everything else that needed to be said were just minor details.

With a quick stretch of her shoulders, the huntress chased after the fleeing Evan and warlock towards a Jumpship waiting for them.

* * *

When the warlock's ship landed in the hanger of the Tower, Evan and Lux were shooed off as he returned to other tasks he had been assigned to. Evan yawned nosily and Lux told him to cover his obnoxious mouth. The two were quick to engage in a small playful argument as they left the hanger for the Tower Plaza.

Upon exiting the hanger, the two bumped into Pahanin who had his mind elsewhere for other matters.

"Oh? Lux and Evan, just returned?" he inquired, surveying their injuries that had been patched up clumsily. "I heard Riley had returned and was transferred to the medical ward. He's in room D22. I would have liked to stay longer and inquire about some things but I have to deploy immediately."

"Oh, thanks Pahanin but where are you off to in such a hurry?" asked the huntress curiously. The older hunter smiled at them and signed softly.

"I'm heading to Venus for another mission with Khallis and Ginevra." Explained Pahanin as he glanced over his shoulders, searching for the two female warlocks. When his eyes failed to spot the two however, he turned back to the two hunters in front of him and smiled warmly at them. When Riley had returned to the tower first, he was one of the few permitted to see him. He spent the few remaining minutes after his debriefing with the vanguards to check over him. The doctors were quick to take care of him. Finding him suitable treatment and a room where he could be tended to and well rested in.

"So soon already?" Lux asked. "What's the trouble?"

"A team of six went into the Vault of Glass. Less than an hour later the Tower picked up a distress signal from their Fireteam leader, requiring immediate aid and extraction. We're their support."

"That sounds like some heavy stuff" Evan said and Pahanin nodded his head at him.

"Wait, the Vault of Glass?" Lux said and Pahanin nodded slowly. The huntress gasped and covered her mouth in horror. "A-are you sure you should be returning to such a place? Why would the Vanguards agree to such a…?"

Pahanin smiled softly at her and patted the worried huntress' shoulder. "I'll be fine. I agreed to return to the Vault. Plus, there are some matters that I would like to confirm for myself."

"Wait, you're talking about your old fireteam, right?" Evan inquired, now remembering the incident in the Vault of Glass.

The disastrous incident concerning the Vault of Glass and Pahanin's fireteam ended with the hunter being the sole survivor of the awe-inspiring team. Though Pahanin laughed the ordeal off, the pair of hunters couldn't help but feel bad for the older man. Returning to the same place he had lost his comrades in wasn't something anyone could laugh off so easily.

Moments later, the group spotted the warlock Khallis making her way towards them. She smiled, giving Lux a hug and a firm nod to a grinning Evan and smiling Pahanin. She then proceeded to inquire about their wounds and their mission but the pair of returnees was forced to keep the details of their assignment to a minimal. Thanks to Commander Zavala's orders.

"So where's Ginevra? I wanted to spend some time with her…but I'll see her off first" Evan sighed, a little disheartened about her departure so soon. Just when he had finally gotten back and he was going to have some fun as well.

Khallis blinked her eyes and pointed towards the gunsmith's general direction. "She said she was picking up her weapon from Banshee before she joined us."

The hunter nodded his head and both Lux and Evan wished the pair good luck on their mission as they went their separate ways. Lux however decided to stick around for a bit more and tail about Evan who inquired since when was Pahanin, Khallis and Ginevra were close. Lux shrugged but pulled to a complete stop. Hastily she reached out and grabbed Evan by the arm, yanking him back forcefully. The hunter almost tripped over his own two feet as he tried to adjust to the sudden tug of balance.

"Don't go there, Evan!" Lux cried.

"What?" but it was already too late as the hunter's eyes turned towards where the gunsmith was. At first, everything looked normal and peaceful. The gunsmith was busy handling two orders from two titans and there were a few others lingering about, engaging in deep conversations about several things. Further to the left, Evan spotted Ginevra with another guardian standing idly by. They were talking about something rather humorous but then the male warlock reached out with one hand and slipped it through Ginevra's hair. She giggled and then the two moved forward to exchange a rather deep and passionate kiss.

"Stop, Evan!" Luc cried and dragged him off by the arm. But the hunter's eyes never left the scene of his crush pashing another guardian so feverously. He felt his world crumble to pieces. Shards of his heart were already crumbling onto the ground. When they were gone from his vision, Evan pulled out of Lux's grip and stumbled back, holding his head and rubbing his eyes. His emotions were swirling out of control and he was so god damn tired, he could drop dead right about now.

"Evan…" Lux whispered, watching as the hunter was stunned into silence.

Eventually he shook his head and smiled at the huntress. However the smile was pained and forced. She knew he was trying to put a brave face up for her own benefit and that pained her more to see him act like so. She frowned, watching as he attempted to change the topic, ignoring what had happened just minutes ago.

"So" he whispered. His voice on the verge of breaking as well as he felt his body tremble with raw emotions of sorrow and betrayal, "let's go …to Riley? Yeah?"

Lux frowned and watched as the hunter fought back tears, trying to remain strong and energetic as he always had been. He chuckled, forcing his smile some more and grabbed her by the arm, determined on taking her away. Lux allowed herself to get dragged towards the west wing of the tower, away from the pain he had just witnessed. Eventually she broke out of Evan's grip and he stared quizzically at her. He was about to question her but was silenced as she reached out, grabbed him by the shoulders and embraced him in a tight hug.

"You big fool!" she cried and he blinked his eyes furiously in her grip, baffled. "If you want to cry, just do it! I'm your friend for a reason! I'm here to help!"

"Wha-what? No, I'm fi—"

"Shut up and do it, you idiot" she grumbled and he couldn't help but feel the overwhelming emotions crush down on him.

* * *

"Hayden, Dredgen Yor is trying to connect to our COMMLINK, should I establish it?" said Seraph, Hayden's dark violent Ghost.

The young hunter lifted his eyes away from his scope for a second before nodded his head and returning to his aiming. While his Ghost was quickly working to establish the connection to his superior, Hayden took careful aim at the dozen of trees in his line of sights. He searched carefully for his target, which was scampering further away from him as time ticked. When he finally located the bright pink and purple entity through the blurs of white, Hayden pulled the trigger. The sniper rifle recoiled hard against his shoulder as he watched his target crumbled to the ground with a scream. His bullet had hit its mark.

As he climbed to a stand, he swung his rifle on his back and dropped effortlessly to the floor below. Yizuel, a wizard from the Moon and his lover hovered to his side to praise him for his sharp shooting. Hayden smiled at her and the two exchanged some rather affectionate words as they casually made their way towards their downed target.

"_Hayden"_ Dredgon Yor called from his headpiece.

"Yes sir?" It wasn't long ago since he had seen his friend and role model hunter from the darkness but hearing his voice again assured Hayden that he was fine.

"_Do not trust Akvar"_ came the older hunter's reply.

Hayden halted in his steps and his smile was quickly washed away. "Sir?"

Besides him, Yizuel eyed the hunter for a moment before darting them over to their target which was gathering themselves and limping away. She pressed on, the palm of her hands swirling with dark magic and she fire two blasts at their target. The blast hit and the victim collapsed back down to the ground in pain.

"_When the time is right, I need you to kill him."_

"What about you, sir?" Hayden inquired and advanced onto their target which was crawling away and screaming in agony. Yizuel hovered low and gripped the target up by the throat, raising it high in the air. The target was a female warlock and she screamed whilst thrashing about for freedom. The bullet that Hayden had fired was lodged in her leg, destroying her ability to walk. Hayden watched as Yizuel tightened her grip around the girl's neck then hurled her to the ground.

During which Dredgen Yor said nothing for a long while until he finally sighed into his ear piece. _"Worry about the task I'm giving you."_

Hayden frowned and reached down to grip the frightened warlock by her helmet. He slipped it off as she tried to slap his hand away and tossed it aside as the warlock held her breath. Her eyes were wide, tear filled and pained. She couldn't believe this was happening and was violently trying to survive her shocking ordeal. Hayden smirked as she covered her mouth with her hands and tried to run. She was holding her breath from inhaling the miasma of the deadly White Forest but Hayden knew that she couldn't possible hold it for long.

"How will I know when to—"

"_You will know, Hayden"_ Dredgen Yor answered quickly. _"Use your head, kiddo."_

Hayden frowned deeply but before he could say another word, Dredgen Yor had cut connections with him abruptly. A deep sigh escaped the hunter's lips, catching Yizuel's concerning stare. The Wizard withdrew her magic empowered hand away from the young warlock's neck that she used to pin the guardian down to the ground with and glided over to his side. She cocked her head to the right, inquiring with her eyes as Hayden responded with a small smile.

"I'm fine Yizuel. Everything is fine" he assured and the Wizard nodded her head slowly.

Turning back to the warlock withering in pain and agony on the ground, Hayden turned back to his the task at hand. His fireteam had split throughout the maze of the White Forest in order to pick off the invading guardians one by one. Having dealt with a number of them already, the twins were quick to chase after the last sum of fleeing guardians. Hayden decided to corner their leader, which was a female warlock whom appeared too confident in her skills in navigating the maze of white shifting trees. Too bad, her overconfidences became her downfall and led her team to destruction. He smirked, advancing on the fearful warlock as she tried to flee, dragging her beaten broken body away as far as possible. Her throat was dry and every whimper that escaped her lips was pained and soft.

She had gave in and allowed the miasma to penetrate her sense.

Hayden reached down, grasping a handful of chestnut coloured hair in one hand and lifted her up. She screamed, scratching at his vice light grip as he slapped her in the face. The blow sent her head shifting to one side, dazed and shocked. He slapped her again and her pale cheeks flushed beet-red. One more slap and he released her as she crumbled into the dirt, crying further. Yizuel hovered about in glee, enjoying the guardian's torment.

_1* "C'slala eira! Ras'r eira sooharaja drh aeraija!"_ Screamed the Wizard excitedly.

The hunter smirked and produced his knife, grabbing the screaming warlock as she tried to kick and punch him away. Yizuel however swooped in, grabbing her by the arms and restrained her as Hayden pinned her legs with his boot. Leaning heavily on her, he smirked wickedly and plunged the knife deep into her stomach. He hacked and slashed at her body viciously, enjoying the spray of fresh blood and her blood-curling screams. Eventually the last of her screams dwindled to silence as her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she laid still.

However the hunter didn't stop as he dug deep into her flesh, grabbing bone and innards in hand before tossing them away like a child who has had enough fun with its toy. Her Ghost appeared a short while later, charging Hayden in the face in an attempt to attack him. Yizuel reached out, snatching the Ghost from the air and crushing it in her hands. The Ghost screamed in pain and was destroyed in the wizard's destructive grip.

They stood no chance against the pair.

As the shards of the ghost crumbled to the floor, Hayden sighed and stepped away from his work. The warlock was dead and his task was completed. He had satisfied his thirst for blood. Yizuel inspected his work carefully, noting the contents of her stomach and even heart were thrown all over the place. She smiled, welcoming the sadistic side of him as he wiped some blood off his helmet nonchalantly.

Eventually, Hayden cleaned most of the blood off him and decided to re-join the twins. His ghost materialized in front of him and led the way, following traces and signals the twin's ghost was emitting in order to track their location. The hunter and wizard found the warlock and titan basking in the fun of tormenting their victims not too far off as well. Adelia was handling her male victim rather contently whilst Tetra target was getting the daylights beaten out of him. The two were so engrossed in their fun that they had not noticed the pair's presence so the hunter took a seat against a boulder then inviting Yizuel to join him.

The wizard complied and casually lowered onto the boulder silently. She then reached out to hold his hand rather affectionately and he smiled at her.

"Please, s-stop…n-no more…" wheezed a fatally injured warlock which was pressed into the ground by Adelia's boot.

The heartless female warlock leaned heavily forward, smirking widely as she watched the dying warlock struggled for life. He attempted to pry her boot off him but was too weak due to his heavy injuries. Instead he resorted to begging, even crying. Adelia listened to him plead and sob with great delight. Seeing others weaker than her beg for their life always seemed to boost her ego and brought great satisfaction deep within. Besides him, the dead corpse of a titan was located. The titan's throat was slashed; her arms broken and her helmet removed to reveal a permanent expression of agony and pain. Her last moments alive were probably buried in the warlocks memory as he sobbed some more.

"Boy, are ugly when you cry" Adelia said, laughing wickedly. "I wonder what kind of face you'll give me when I crack open your skull, hm?"

"Adelia, just finish him off already" Tetra said over her shoulders as she punched a male titan in the face for the tenth time. In one hand, she was holding the titan up by the collar. Her other fist was soaked in the titan's blood from his bleeding broken nose. The titan was almost dead as well but Tetra was keen on using him as a punching bag some more.

"Why don't you finish off your titan?" Adelia wailed back, gritting her teeth at her sister's brutal and messy display of sadism. The warlock had a much more refined way of torturing her enemies—not just punching everything insight like Tetra. From afar, Hayden sighed and shook his head at them. He wondered when they would ever stop arguing and just get along.

"I'm finishing it up" Tetra snarled back.

"Yeah? Then mind your own business!"

"Sometimes you're intolerable, you know that?"

"Sometimes you need to fuck off" Adelia shot back and slammed her boot down on the injured warlock in front of her. The warlock was knocked unconscious immediately as she quickly knelt down and gutted his throat out with the hunter's knife she had torn from the warlock's friend. She stabbed him a few more times, screaming out her frustrations until her mood had finally simmered down.

By then, Tetra had finally snapped the titan's neck and destroyed its Ghost along with it.

Adelia stepped away, soaked in blood from the male warlock and ripped his Ghost out of the air. She gripped the struggling pained Ghost in one hand and proceeded to stab it. When the last of the Ghost's light faded from its optic, she dropped it to the floor and stomped it to a million pieces, still slightly annoyed at her sister.

"There, happy now?!" she screamed, turning back to her sister.

Tetra grimaced at her sister, unable to comprehend how such a childish and irritating woman had become a guardian and survived for this long. How were they even related to one another to begin with? She said nothing, merely sneered at her as she wiped the blood from her visor and glanced about her surroundings. The mist of the White Forest had cleared the area around them enough to allow her to see the bloody mess they had created. Corpses of the reminder of a once six member fireteam littered the ground with large puddles and splatters of their blood covering it. There were weapons left abandoned, bullet shells and casing about and ghost fragments everywhere.

It was a massacre and the twins were still hungry for more blood.

"Oh, Hive lover boy is here" Adelia said as she dusted her long robes. Hayden climbed to a stand and joined the two with Yizuel in tow. Quickly he surveyed their condition and to see if there were any injuries and wounds they had sustained. Adelia frowned and snorted at his curious stares. "We're fine, nothing we can't handle, kid."

The hunter paused and frowned. Would he have to kill these two as well? The thought occupied his mind for a moment and he eyed them. The twins were a formidable pair. Strong enough to take down a well-known EXO and also obliterated a team of guardians. They've even sliced through Fallen captains nonchalantly like it was any other day. The hunter was sure the twins could even tackle a legion of Cabal, Hive or the Vex. They probably didn't even need his help killing the group of intruders.

"Should we head back?" Hayden decided after a moment. He watched silently as she girls looted the dead corpses littering the floor. Adelia stretched her arms and shrugged at him in reply as the hunter sighed deeply. It wasn't like Akvar had given them another mission to deal with.

"Might as well" Adelia said as she started to pick dirt from her nails with a deceased hunter's knife. "You killed their leader, hivie?"

Hayden frowned but nodded his head.

The twins exchanged brief looks then Tetra led the charge back to their base. Adelia took a moment to watch the White Forest rearranged itself, swallowing the bloody scene with a wall of trees. She suspected the forest would use the corpses as compost and feed off the flesh like animals. She smiled at the remarkable sight and then hurried after her sister.

Hayden sighed softly. His mind was a mess of thoughts.

Dredgen Yor's orders were to kill Akvar when the time was right and he was sure in order to get through to the warlock, he'd have to kill the twins as well. Even with Yizuel at his side, he wasn't all too confident he could challenge the crazy feral twins just yet. He needed more time. To study and learn their weaknesses.

But time was running against him. He had a feeling that this war with them, would soon transpire. Yizuel noticed his hesitation and reached down to stroke his arm. He glanced up at her and smiled, assuring her that everything would be fine.

But he knew deep down that things were only going to get difficult from here on.

* * *

1*Kill her! Rip her innards to shreds!

**Sonic5565 – I'M SORRY SONIC. SO VERY SORRY. I COULDN'T, I HATE MYSELF FOR ANY FEELS YOU HAVE FEEL WHILST READING THIS STORY OF FEELS. ARGHDKJFDKFD**

**Jetfire101 –** **Hahaha! I'm imagining lots of mini nukes on their corpses if I add you in. Thanks for the review mate!**

**Countess of Monleigh –** **I'm sorry to hear that! I hope you get better and all works out for you! Take care! Try not to do anything dangerous that I wouldn't do! I-I'll tried to quicken the next chapter for you. I..I don't want to feel your wrath!**


	18. XVII - Lambs to slaughter

**A/N: Reviews galore! Oh how I missed them so much! Thank you for the awesome support guys! And now… ACTION, ACTION, ACTION! Also, I do not know anything about cowboy lingo so…yeah..**

**Enjoy my friends!**

* * *

_**Circle of War**__  
"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"_

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN –**_**Lambs to slaughter.**_

Dredgen Yor watched from a hidden spot high above the Tower Hangers as more than a dozen residences below continued their work. Guardians of all colour and age hustled through the hanger, going to and from destinations. Frames waltzed about, their hands tensely wrapped around their guns as they did their patrols. Dredgen leaned back on the large metal beam he had been perched on for more than twenty minutes.

The mission he had been assigned to was taking longer than expected, no thanks to his target's sporadic routines. He couldn't believe the large amounts of times he had gotten close to killing the man but fell short when an unexpected turn of events occurred. Pahanin Errata was gifted with some incredible luck to have dodged Dredgen Yor's assassinations attempts on multiple occasions.

Now however, he had Pahanin right where he wanted him. The man had finally been given a mission to Venus, the place where nothing could get in his way. He smirked, remembering the debriefing the hunter had received for his mission and couldn't help but laugh at the irony of it. The Vault will be his final resting place. He could feel the hunger boil in the pits of his stomach, his body craving for a kill after so long. It had been too long since he had fuelled his Thorn. Too long since he had been away from this horrid Tower.

This place was suffocating him and he was glad the man was leaving it.

It was also a good thing that Pahanin was leaving the Last City. Dredgen Yor had gotten increasingly weary of Bradley's incompetence. The titan was attracting too much unwanted attention with his monotone zombie like state. So Dredgen Yor killed the titan and his Ghost quickly in the middle of the night in his room and locked the door. It would be a while until anyone would realised what had happened. By then, Dredgen would already be back out on the field, gathering more victims for his Thorn.

Seconds later, Pahanin entered the hanger and was speaking to one of the many Frames regarding his Jumpship. Behind him, a female warlock named Khallis was located. She, along with another female warlock named Ginevra were assigned to his fireteam into the Vault. The hunter wasn't worried though, the two warlocks were simply just fodder for his Thorn.

The pair waited a moment before Ginevra joined their sides with a flushed complexion. Exchanging brief words, the trio set off for their Jumpships as Dredgen climbed to a stand. He too needed to be off, already deciding to intercept them on Venus.

As he quickly made his way towards ground level, his Ghost informed the hunter that Akvar was trying to connect to his channel. The hunter frowned, his eyes twitching slightly at the warlock's name. He had come to dislike the warlock greatly, finding that the Hive should have never formed an alliance with him in the first place.

"What is it?" Dredgen Yor demanded.

"_That's an unpleasant way to answer any calls, Yor"_ Akvar said with a hint of amusement in his voice.

The hunter's eye twitched some more and he clenched his hand into a tight fist. Even his voice was starting to irritate him.

"There a reason you're calling me?" The hunter pressed. He was not in the mood for games and long winded conversations with the despicable warlock.

"_Inquiring about the mission I assigned you to. Have you've gotten the gun? And what of the boy?"_

"I'm finishing up the kill today. The greenhorn? He returned to the Tower not long ago. Apparently the kid's dropped into a coma. He's been transported to the Medical ward, room D22" Dredgen replied as he climbed into a Jumpship he had gotten the clear to use. Buckling into his seat, he closed the exit hatch and begun firing up the engines for take-off after the Frames gave him the clear.

Akvar was silent for a moment, humming softly as he deliberated over things. Dredgen Yor said nothing but the long silence was starting to irritate him once more.

"_Leaving the Tower?"_ the warlock said finally.

"Heading to the Vault of Glass. Pahanin's team is heading there. Is that all?" Dredgen replied with a deep grumble. Was there really a point to this call?

Akvar chuckled, _"So, he's the one receiving the distress call? Leave him to me."_

"No deal. I'm finishing this guy up" Dredgen snapped. If there was one thing he hated most, it was his precious time wasted. Hunting the guy was his mission and to have Akvar suddenly call it off ignited a great fury in him. If he was next to the guy, Dredgen Yor wasn't sure if he could contain his fist from slogging him in the face. He stepped on the accelerator and jetted out of the hanger, soaring into the skies to his destination with incredible speed and urgency.

"_Very well. Come to the Vault. I'll have the Vex stand down for you but I can't assure your safety from anything else"_ Akvar said as the line went dead.

The hunter was perplexed for a moment, wondering what other dangers lingered in the Vault that was beyond the warlock's capabilities. The man had control over an army of Vex and the Vault was full of them. Did he perhaps assume the hunter would trip over his own two feet or something?

Whatever the case, Dredgen Yor scoffed at his words and urged his Jumpship onwards, determined to see this mission to the end.

* * *

Pahanin was left rather nervous as he stared at the Vault from a distance. His memories of his time in the Vault were all a haze. They were a jumble mess with various fragments missing, leaving the hunter confused with the overall timeline of his experience there. There were a lot of unanswered questions he had for the place and a lot of mysterious surrounding his old fireteam. He recalled he and Kabr had gone into the Vault, made quick ground work of the area but were soon overwhelmed. Kabr ordered him to escape in order to warn the Vanguards about what dwelled in the Vault but Pahanin felt like there was more to it.

As his fireteam climbed the rocky terrain, the hunter felt weak in the knees. The mere sight of the place brought back a lot of unwanted emotions of his struggles to survive. He remembered crawling on all fours, weak and bruised. The vulnerability he felt. A cold shiver travelled down his spine and he licked his parched lips. His entire body was trembling with emotions he was having difficulties to hold back.

"Will you…be okay, Pahanin?" Khallis inquired, noting his hesitation.

The hunter snapped his head to her quickly. He had forgotten he wasn't alone here and seeing them had calmed his anxiety. He wasn't alone this time and he wouldn't allow the Vault to consume him with fear anymore.

With a quick nod, Pahanin clenched his hands into a fist and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine. Let's go."

Taking the lead, Pahanin escorted the two girls towards the gate of the Vault. He recalled that there were three golden plates to stand on and defend in order to unlock a massive circular gate. But as he skidded to a stop and thought back on what his memory recalled, he realised that when he and Kabr had opened the Vault, there were only two of them. How could such a feat be possible? Three was required so how did they open the Vault with only two guardians? This perplexed him and the more he thought about it, the more doubt he had.

Was he recalling his memories right?

"Look!" Ginevra suddenly howled, throwing Pahanin out of his train of thoughts once again.

The warlock pointed towards the massive gate that was shimmering with light. Then suddenly the gears twisted and turned, snapping open to reveal its insides to the world. Pahanin stood dumbfounded. They had not even stepped on the assigned plates yet to trigger the activation of the gate and now it has opened itself so easily to them. The trio quickly rushed for the opened gate, fearing that it may have been an error on the Vex's part and would close shortly. As they passed through with little difficulties, Pahanin grew progressively apprehensive.

No enemies had been around to greet them. The Gate had opened on its own. It was like the Vault was calling to him, begging him to explore its mysteries.

"That was weird?" Khallis mumbled as the group walked cautiously through the rocky passage.

"Should that have happened, Pahanin?" Ginevra inquired, doubting the Vex would have just simply made any sort of mistakes.

The hunter shook his head furiously, "not from what I recalled. We have to activate the plates, sync it up and it'll do its work so long as we kept the Vex away from taking back the plates."

"I wonder why?" Khallis mumbled once more.

As much as Pahanin wanted to stop and figure this out some more, their mission was calling him back to reality. The distress call was deeper from what their Ghosts had explained and they needed to move faster but cautiously. Gripping their guns, Pahanin could feel Super Good Advice on his back hum in uneasiness. His weapon was mirroring his thoughts.

"What are we to expect, Pahanin?" Ginevra asked suddenly as they squeezed through a tight passage.

Pahanin bit his lip, travelling back into the recess of his memories once more. "Beyond here, the Templar sleeps with the Oracles. We were…we were unable to defeat the Templar so we escaped deeper into the Vault."

"The Templar…did the fireteam perhaps failed there?" Ginevra wondered as her Ghost materialized in front of her.

"Negative, signals suggest the distress call lies further in the Vault" her Ghost explained then quickly disappeared into her armour once more.

The trio nodded their heads and continued onwards. As they pressed on into an open space surrounded in a thick layer of darkness, Pahanin felt his heartbeat increased. The Templar resided beyond the valley of rocks they had to skip down to. He felt his hand tremble once more with fear and he paused to glance down over the edge of the platform they were on. A great mist had formed so seeing the bottom was beyond his ability. He swallowed a lump in his throat thickly and gathered his confidence once more to keep going.

Lowering themselves onto the last platform, the trio could see on the ground below them, remnants of an old battle littered the floor. Khallis pointed, noting the tattered corpse of a titan and warlock dressed in colours of gold and blue.

"Isn't that them?" she cried.

"We need to confirm it" Pahanin said and uneasily jumped down to the bottom. Both Khallis and Ginevra were quick to follow him, landing smoothly to the ground and rushing over to inspect the bodies.

They were dead but it seemed recently as well. Bullet wounds tore through them and the titan was missing an arm as they died in their own blood. Pahanin frowned deeply, holstering his gun ready and warily scanning his surroundings. He felt like he was being watched from every possible angle and feared the Templar would ambush them at any given moment. This was the Templar's domain and they would be dealt with quickly if they didn't move.

"Did the Templar do this?" Khallis suggested.

"Not sure. Khallis, can you see their Ghost anywhere?" Ginevra said and joined the search for their missing Ghosts.

Pahanin stood and shook his head at them, "the Templar would have seen to it that they were destroyed as well."

The girls grimaced at his words but eventually agreed. It was useless to try so instead the girls took the deceased guardians Marks and Bonds to return. Pahanin gave a final look across the room and darted off to the next area. He didn't want to wait around for the Templar to show itself and they still needed to dive deeper into the complex structure of this place. As they ducked down into a crawl space that dropped to a new area, the hunter found himself wondering over his experiences in the Vault.

Kabr lead them deeper into the Vault where the Gorgons roamed in their Labyrinth. It was there that something had happened to them. Were they ambushed? Attacked from all sides? He couldn't recall correctly but he did remember that it was only minutes later that something chased them and Pahanin was ordered to flee.

Along the way they spotted one more body belonging to the expedition crew.

Khallis shook her head and realised that the titan lying dead on the ground had died from the sheer drop. He had wounds that were probably received from the fight with the Templar that added to his fatality. The girls stripped him of his guardian Mark and wished him a good afterlife. His Ghost however wasn't seen anywhere and they presumed was lost.

"This is horrible" muttered Ginevra as she gripped the dead titan's Mark tightly in her hands.

"How far ahead do we have to go?" Khallis said softly, feeling sadden at their discoveries of the team. There were still three others left that were probably fighting for their lives deeper.

"We need to move" Pahanin said, urging the girls to hurry onwards. They needed to save the remaining two and if he recalled correctly, the Labyrinth was a deadly place to be in for too long. The girls said nothing and quickly skipped after the hunter who hurried through the tunnels fluidly. He remembered the path clearly, having spent a while exploring the layout with his previous fireteam. When they dropped down into the small stream, the trio were heartbroken to find a huntress' body was lying dead on the banks.

Khallis covered her mouth, seeing the large amounts of wounds the poor huntress had retained on her slim beaten body. Pahanin stared for a long while, remembering the face of the huntress clearly. She was once part of the few guardians he had the chance to pair up with for a previous mission. A courageous and skilled huntress. As he shuffled forward and was pained to see a familiar face, something in his mind clicked. There was bullet lodged in her forehead, suggesting that the bullet was the final blow but the Gorgons did not attack like so. Their weapons were different, choosing to erase things into oblivion.

"Wait, this isn't right" Pahanin said and inspected the wound on her body next. "No, this is bad."

"What's wrong?" Ginevra asked then spotted shards of the huntress' destroyed Ghost nearby. She bent down, picking up the shards and found a single bullet among the shards of broken Ghost. Then something dawn on her regarding the bullets. It was small, grey in colour with a black hard head. Each bullet had a small triangular shaped insignia on the butt of the bullet.

"This hunter didn't die from the Vex here" Pahanin said turning back to his group.

"He's right, see this?" Ginevra said and revealed to the group the bullet she had found. "This bullet isn't Vex material."

Khallis stepped forward and took the single bullet into her hands. Inspecting the design and structure of the bullet intensely, the female warlock eventually nodded her head in shock and agreement. Finally she was realizing what her fireteam had discovered and couldn't believe her eyes as she gawked at the realization of the situation.

"Yes, this bullet…it's a handcannon and…" she paused and darted her eyes towards Pahanin and the corpse of the huntress. "A guardian killed her."

"Correct" Pahanin said and stood up. "But why and where are they?"

"There are two left now" Ginevra said softly in dismay about the huntress' fireteam.

Pahanin could only believe that the rest of her fireteam had betrayed her. But for what purpose? He knew not but understood that finding the last pair would possibly piece together what had happened between them all.

But before the trio could move out, a gun was fired and barely missed Ginevra's head. She screamed, diving for cover almost immediately as the group all dropped for cover was well. Pahanin squinted his eyes in the general direction the bullet had originated from but found only walls of rock and no perpetrator.

"What was that?" Ginevra cried and Khallis scooted closer to her with her weapon drawn.

Another bullet hit the rock besides the girls and they tensely shifted closer behind their cover for protection.

"Who's there?" Khallis screamed but there was no answer. She stared back over to where Pahanin was and found that he was peeking out, searching for their attacker warily. But before he could get a fix on their location, another bullet was fired and Pahanin was almost hit in the head. He ducked, digging deep into the ground and exhaled nosily.

"Where is he?" Ginevra grumbled, daring to peek as well. But the more they attempted to find the perpetrator, the more times they were risking their lives as more rains of bullets cascaded down on their location. It was like playing whack a mole but instead they were the moles and their lives were on the line.

Seconds later, Khallis managed to spot someone shifting in the darkness not too far and gripped her gun tightly. She grabbed Ginevra's attention and pointed in the general direction with one finger. The female warlock nodded her head and smiled, eyeing the location carefully. They decided to flank their target while Ginevra became bait. Pahanin decided to remain in his spot, ready to fire to draw their attacker's attention as well.

Before the group could initiate their plan of attack however, a grenade was thrown in their direction. Instantly it released a spark of Arc light that zapped everything in its radar. The group were thrown off course as Ginevra was hit in the back, screaming as she fumbled to the ground.

Pahanin was blindsided for a moment, rolling left and Khallis took the full brute of the attack as she was closer.

She screamed. Withering in pain on the ground as electro currents sprinted up her body. Rolling on the ground, she could barely register what had happen next as the assailant jumped out from cover. A hunter wearing all black advanced on them with a hunger for blood. She rolled along the ground to get away from the hunter and screamed as she fell backwards down a steep slope.

Her head hit rocks and her robes tugged and pulled as she was knocked around until she landed on her back at the very bottom. As she came to, her head spun and her visions blurred as echoes of gunfire and screams were heard. Moments later, someone landed not too far from her on their back. Khallis groggily climbed to a stand, fishing for her weapon but found that it was lost during the fall. She stepped forward uneasily, shaking as the sting of electrical currents from the grenade still lingered on her. She ended up tumbling forward on her knees and hands and crawled to see that the body was none other than Ginevra.

"Gi…gi?" she croaked and lightly shook her shoulders to wake her. The girl groaned, stirring awake and rubbed at her aching shoulders and back.

"Khallis? Oh no, Pahanin is alone with that hunter!" she cried and sprung up to her feet. "We have to go help him!"

"R-right" Khallis responded and struggled to stand only to have Ginevra crash to her knees a second later. The girl begun panting heavily and quizzically inspected her sides to see a bullet wound had lodged itself there. "You're bleeding, Ginevra!"

"A-ah…yeah, I thought" the warlock mumbled and pressed down on the wound. "…I thought I had dodged his…bullets."

There were a few more echoes and cracks of distant gunfire before it went eerily silent. The girls immediately tensed and Khallis hurriedly ripped a strip of her robes to use as bandages. She tended to Ginevra's wounds as best she could with what little she had on her then helped the warlock up to her feet.

"We have to escape" she decided. "This mission was butchered from the start."

"Who…was that?" Ginevra thought aloud. She shook her head and using Khallis as support, the two girls trekked through the darkness together.

"No way can we get back up that way…" Khallis sighed and searched through the thick for a way out of the maze like terrain. "We need to find an alternative route up."

The girls walked for what seemed like forever until Ginevra's knees buckled and she tumbled forward. Khallis instantly reached down to help her but Ginevra felt too weak and exhausted to continue.

"Come on, Ginevra. You can do it" whispered the concern warlock.

"E-easier said than done."

"Look, we'll get out of here alive. Pahanin is probably finding a way and searching for us" Khallis said as she pulled the girl to her feet. Ginevra nodded her head dizzily and Khallis knew that some much needed medical attention was required. The girls needed to evacuate immediately. As they walked, stumbling through tunnels and empty open spaces, there were echoes of more gunfire heard in the distance. It assured the girls that someone was still alive and they hoped that Pahanin was still alive and fighting his way through to them.

Ginevra collapsed a second time after a while and Khallis struggled to get the girl to keep going. She panicked, unsure how they were going to cover any ground with an injured guardian. It was worse than that time with Bradley. The warlock grimaced, shaking her head. Now wasn't the time to remember a troublesome matter.

Khallis heard boots crunching on gravel which snapped her out of her daydream and she twirled around, aiming the gun she had borrowed from Ginevra in the direction. The warlock stared into the darkness, trying to make out rock formations with the limited amounts of lights. Then a spark of Arc light exploded to her left and she turned to see a man engulf in blue electricity. Immediately she knew that they were in danger and pressed down on the trigger, firing an entirely clip at the man.

It was the assailant and he danced about, dodging her bullets as he charged them. No matter how much she tried to aim, no matter how many bullets she fired, the hunter was too fast and managed to close the distance between them. Khallis screamed as the bladedancer raised his arc powered knife. His blade connected with her rifle and sent her sprawling across the ground, screaming in pain.

The hunter ambled forward, gaining speed with each step. His knife glinted menacingly at her which only sent a cold shiver of fear down her spine. Khallis gritted her teeth together, mustering what little strength she had left and climbed to her feet. Hastily she begain channelling sparks of void energy in her palms, eyeing the hunter as he approached her nonchalantly. The hunter laughed at her, amused she was putting up a fight and sprinted forward as she raised her palm. Sparks of void light swirled dangerously between her fingertips but the hunter wasn't deterred as he quickened his pace.

Before the two could connect, Ginevra rushed forward and shoved Khallis out of the way. The female warlock screamed as painful sparks of arc light coursed through her body. The hunter's blade had connected deep into her shoulder, electrocuting her to the bones.

"No!" Khallis shrieked as she watched the hunter gripped the weakened warlock by the neck. He smirked smugly at his caught prey and ripped the blade from her shoulder. She gasped, blood quickly oozing out of the wound as he then proceeded to mutilate her chest. He stabbed Ginevra over and over, disregarding Khallis' screams of horror. "Please, stop! No!"

Eventually, Ginevra's body went slack and the light drained from her eyes as she limply collapsed to the ground. Pleased, the hunter reached out and grabbing her Ghost which had materialized in the air a short moment later. Khallis knew what would happen next and she paled as he gripped the squirming Ghost in his hand.

"No, stop!" Khallis cried as she gathered herself.

Before she could reach out to save the fearful Ghost, the hunter quickly smashed it to piece. Khallis felt the world stood still as her knees buckled and she collapsed to the floor in shock. The last bit of hope for Ginevra's resurrection was destroyed. The warlock was never going to see her friend again and a great pain was blossoming in her chest. Tears trailed down her face as she wailed in agony at her loss.

Entertained, the hunter strolled forward, reaching down to grab the warlock by her helmet. Khallis had no strength left in her to fight the man as her grief consumed her to the core. She had never lost someone so close to her before and was unable to think with clarity as she allowed the hunter to decide her fate. With one simple thought in mind, Khallis closed her eyes, unable to forgive herself for not saving her friend and comrade. She shouldn't have been alive. She should have taken Ginevra's place instead.

Khallis knew she was accepting death, even willing it but nothing felt right anymore.

"Back away from her, Yor!" screamed a male's voice.

Khallis' eyes instantly fluttered open and the hand that had gripped her helmet loosened. She knew that voice. Pahanin was still alive!

Quickly, Khallis watched as Ginevra's murderer backed away, dodging a small grey can that tumbled between them. The can cluttered noisily to the ground before releasing a great cloud of grey musky smoke. Khallis shielded her eyes with her arm, turning away from the smoke as it expanded out and devoured the space between them. A second later, a hand reached out from the smog and gripped her arm then proceeded to drag her to her feet. She went to scream, fearing that the killer had captured her and would finish her elsewhere. She reached out to pry her arm free but stopped when she recongized the blue and white cloak belonging to Pahanin.

The older hunter did not look back and continued to drag her away to what she could only assume was safety. Khallis dared to look back over her shoulders but was relieved to see that they were not being pursued. She allowed the older hunter to pull her along, almost as if he knew the layout of the maze. They eventually climbed upwards, clawing the ground and kicking pebbles of rock and dirt out of their way towards a small opening planted in the side of a steep hill. Breaking through, the two gathered themselves for a moment, panting heavily in the open space.

"Are…you okay?" asked a worried Pahanin.

Khallis nodded her head and bit her lips promptly. She was fine but Ginevra…

As she glanced back down from the route they had emerged from, Pahanin reached out and patted her shoulder. She turned to him, confused but the older hunter only squeezed her shoulder in response. It seemed like he had understood her concerns but had wanted to focus on the present now. As much as she wanted to run back down there and secure Khallis' remains, the better part of her was urging her to escape now.

"We should go" he sighed and turned on his heels. "Yor will be catching up to us if we don't get a move on."

"Yor..?"

"Dredgen Yor" the hunter snarled. "But what he is doing here is beyond me since his banishment."

Khallis nodded her head slowly. She heard of the name and only knew that it was associated with a traitorous hunter that turned his back on the Traveller years ago. Dredgen Yor was a deadly murderous hunter that should be avoided at all cost. Some children stories revolved around him as well.

"Not to mention this place...why are there no Vex? We should have been fighting our way in from the beginning."

True to the hunter's words, the trio had a rather odd but smooth sailing through the Vault. There were plenty of stories regarding this place as a dangerous Vex infested area. But here they were, running from a killer hunter which was exiled from the Last City in a barren Vault. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore as they began shifting over boulders and dirt.

"What do you think Dredgen Yor is doing here?" Khallis said as scaled a rather large boulder.

Pahanin frowned and offered a hand to help her up. "Something bad. Perhaps he has some sort of connection to the Vex? But wait, that doesn't make any sense. Dredgen Yor was associated with the Hive from last I recalled."

"From the Hive…to the Vex?"

"Yes, which is rather odd? He's still carrying around that Thorn, which leads me to believe his affiliation with the Hive isn't terminated."

Stumped, the pair continued through a tight tunnel blooming with shiny crystals that provided little light through the darkness. As they shuffled forward, the gears in both the guardian's head began to turn and Khallis almost froze altogether at a rather strange thought.

"Akvar…"

The hunter reeled to a stop and glanced over at the warlock. "You mean, they are…?"

"It's only… an assumption but the pair were exiled. Akvar was rumoured to command an army of Vex and I wouldn't be surprised the Vex allowed him to play in here. Then there's Dredgen Yor. No connections to the Vex whatsoever but here he is."

"Are you suggesting that Akvar and Dredgen Yor are working together?"

Khallis nodded her head and Pahanin grimaced at the dark thought. Khallis' assumptions sounded outrageous but Pahanin couldn't help but think that perhaps it was true. She was a smart warlock after all.

"Sounds like trouble" Pahanin groaned deeply. "In any event, we should return to the Last City."

Khallis couldn't agree more as she hastily kept up with the agile hunter.

* * *

Dredgen Yor couldn't believe his luck.

He was so close to slaughtering that female warlock until Pahanin bounced back up again and tracked down his location so swiftly. Not to mention the hunter had a few cans of grenades and smokes on him to boot as well. As the hunter raced against time to catch up to the fleeing duo, he cursed his luck. It seemed like Pahanin knew where he was going as they had finally broken through the Vault and were back outside. Just as Dredgen Yor had stepped outside into the evening glow of Venus, the hunter almost swore loudly as he spotted two Jumpships rising into the skies.

"Consarnit!" the hunter cried as he quickly summoned his own Jumpship. If he couldn't take Pahanin on the ground, he'd aim for him in the sky then. As he was transmatted into his ship and was in the middle of starting up his engines, the hunter heard a soft chuckle in his ears.

"_Lost his tail, did you?" _Akvar said rather entertained.

Dredgen Yor swore loudly and pushed down hard on the accelerators. He was in no mood to deal with Akvar's shenanigans as of right now. As he swirled around to catch the fleeing Jumpships' wind, he howled at his Ghost frustratingly.

"How in the tunk did that goose git into my channel again?"

"_Cool it, cowboy"_ Akvar laughed. He was finding the fact that the more irritated the hunter got, the more his accent shone through. _"I patched myself in, after observing your amusing display of…finesse."_

"Go to Halifax!" grumbled the hunter, drifting around a large asteroid and switched his ship's artillery to seeking missiles. Various lights and readings flared on his HUD and he had to steer his ship smoothly before his Jumpship could lock on to their targets. Once his sights aligned perfectly and he had a clear shot, the hunter punched down on the button and his ship exhausted two missiles.

In front of him, Pahanin and the warlock swirled about, attempting evasive manoeuvres to lose the tracking missiles. Dredgen Yor watched with glee as the missiles approached his target, one ship that had been lagging behind. In the darkness of space, the missiles were like a beacon that brought a fiery death to any aircrafts should it hit home. The first missile was evaded, flying off to hit into a floating asteroid but the last missile gained momentum on the ship as it violently jerked left and right. Dredgen descended under a cluster of destroyed space craft pieces of an old forgotten ship just in time to watch as his missile blast into a small asteroid. Though he was disappointed that the guardian's ship had manoeuvred his missiles, he was startled to see that chunks of the destroyed asteroid had clipped the guardian's wings.

The ship rocked to one side, the boulders damaging its wings.

Dredgen took the chance to fire another set of rounds at the wavering ship just as he swirled out of the way of a destroyed satellite. As he rose high up to watch his missile soar through the sky and chase his target again, his HUD began flaring red. A continuous beeping sound blasted in his eardrums and he pulled hard right, just missing a lone missile that was aimed at him. The hunter cursed, accelerating his ship forward as he tried to locate the source of the attack. A moment later, a guardian's Jumpship zipped at him, pelting the sky with a rain of plasma lasers.

Dredgen Yor braced for impact as he was tossed hard into his seat. He gripped the steering wheel tightly and pushed left to avoid another attack. His HUD flared with mixed readings, demonstrating the amount of damage his Jumpship had received and how fatal it was to his engines. With a heavy sigh, Dredgen Yor ignored the blaring of these readings and spun his ship around to meet his attacker head on. Spotting the white and green Jumpship making a U-turn for him. Dredgen Yor fired his lasers at the ship as it darted left to avoid his rain of heavy fire. He sped forward, giving chase to the fleeing ship and attempted to lock-on to it as he fired away.

The guardian was fast, easily dipping and dropping out of his radar but the hunter was persistent and he held onto the guardian's tail viciously. One of his bullets managed to chip the ship's back and it stumbled a bit as it disappeared between two large asteroids and half the remains of a space shuttle.

It seemed like the two guardians were attempting to lure him into a cluster of asteroids for some difficult manoeuvring. Hunks of debris from large asteroids and destroyed spaceships littered the area, forming a deadly network of paths that required a lot of clean driving. The hunter smiled and shook his head at how foolish the guardians were. He had plenty of chances in the past to play at their game and was already skilled enough to drift through dangerous territories such as this. Undeterred, Dredgen Yor ignited his ship's thrusters and sped headlong. His radar managed to pick up a signal and he zipped towards it, discovering that it was the first white and blue ship he had chipped wings with.

Pahanin's Jumpship.

"_How's the flight up there?"_ Akvar inquired after a while.

"Peachy" Dredgen Yor replied sullenly and locked on. Seconds later he fired his missiles which caused Pahanin's ship to accelerate forward in order to escape him. The hunter scoffed and rammed forward, jerking left and right out of danger's way of collisions. As he gained momentum on his target, his radar picked up a second reading and knew that it belonged to Pahanin's partner, the female warlock.

The warlock passed overhead, dropping more lasers his way. Dredgen Yor pivoting left abruptly to dodge the spray of bullets. Regaining his control of his ship, the hunter hurled a counterattack by boosting high above the warlock's ship and raining down his own fire. The warlock took a fatal hit that sent her ship burning and pitching forward. He watched as her ship deceased down into Mar's atmosphere, followed closely behind by Pahanin's own spacecraft to the rescue.

"Of course you'll go to Mars" grumbled the hunter as he set a new course after them.

"_Mars? I heard it's quite warm there this time of year"_ Akvar snickered.

"What are you still doing here?" Snapped the hunter.

Akvar laughed, almost a little too wickedly at his words. _"Easy there. Mars is a dangerous place, Yor. You best keep your Thorn ready for any signs of trouble."_

"You planning something?"

"_You sound paranoid, Yor. Easy, I'd just watch your sixes if I was you. A storms brewing on Mars today"_ Akvar said finally before the line went dead. Flabbergasted, Dredgen Yor set aside the crazed warlock's words and concentrated on the task at hand. He didn't honestly need the warlock's riddles and presences to guide him through his mission and was thankful he was finally gone. Now at peace, his attention was immediately on the descending ships ahead of him.

He watched as the warlock's ship crashed into the sandy dunes of Mars painfully, chunks and pieces of its wings and engines grinding along the ground as it slid. The top of the ship erupted into flames as the warlock staggered out of the driver's seat to the ground feebly. Pahanin had landed his own ship roughly as well but was quick to transmat on the ground before he sustained any damages. The first thing he did was rush to his partner's aid, regardless of the state of his Jumpship and any injuries he may have sustained.

A few yards away, Dredgen Yor managed to park his own ship and step out into the hot and humid atmosphere. Winds picking up heavy grains of red sand and dust smothered his visions for a moment as he wiped a gloved hand over his visors to clear it. In the distance, he spotted Pahanin pulling the weakened warlock from the remains of her Jumpship a few paces away from her ship, should it exploded unexpectedly.

The hunter smirked hauntingly and raised his Thorn, rushing through the sands for his target.

* * *

**Guest – D-dangerzone? You mean…from the song? Hahaha!**

**Dancing mary ****poppins – Thanks so much for the review! I'm glad you enjoy my story so much! Yes, it pains me to have Evan experience such a saddening thing and Riley will be fine! Hopefully?**

**Bladed Raptoooooorrrr – You need to sit down and evaluate your sanity my friend. The laughing, dear god! Jokes aside, glad you loved the previous chapter and hopefully this chapter has been a blast for you too! Get a move on buddy! I demand that knew chapter pronto! Chop, chop! Also get that popcorn ready buddy!**

**DinoGuy2000 – Thank you! Riley will be utterly confused about what has happen, that's what's going down!**

**Countess of Monleigh – Then I better stay on your goodside. Well now you have more time to relax and chill, yesss? I'm sorry! It has been a very saddening event for poor Evan…I regret it bu-but the story….must go on! Riley will…I have something special in store for him. You better have the popcorn ready!**


	19. XVIII - Valediction

**A/N: This story isn't dead or has been abandoned and I'm immensely sorry for the painful long wait! Though this chapter has done my head in, I do hope it has met your standards!**

**Enjoy my friends!**

* * *

_**Circle of War**__  
"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"_

**CHAPTER EIGHTTEEN –**_**Valediction.**_

Khallis thought it was over when her ship lost control and descended into Mars' atmosphere. Her heart hammered loudly in her chest as she braced for impact. Shutting her eyes tightly and gripping for anything solid, she believed fervently that on impact that her Jumpship would explode. Taking her Ghost and her down with it. This would be her end, she could feel it. As she gritted her teeth, she felt tears threaten to spill from the corner of her eyes. She regretting every second she had wasted attempting to shoot down Dredgen Yor's Ship. The foolishness she felt when she thought she was doing any good. That she was protecting Pahanin and ensuring his survival.

In the end, she was weak and a failure. She could imagine the disappointment Pahanin must have felt when she failed him twice. How could she have let things turned out this way? Khallis, the failure. She was sure the Tower would be laughing at how pitiful her existence was.

Her ship crashed and she was thrown out of her seat just as she lost conscious.

When she came to again, she heard a muffled voice calling out to her. Her visions were black and bleak and she felt numb all over. She groaned and felt an odd warmth against her aching body as sirens screamed in her ears. Hazily, Khallis opened her eyes but instantly shut them. A penetrating light too intense for her eyes blinded her. She hissed, unable to feel or function right. As she lay there for what seemed like for eternity, Khallis came to terms that perhaps she was in heaven or hell now. Whichever nether she was thrown into, it seemed completely different than what she had read in old books. She expected that angels or demons were supposed to greet her upon arrival.

Was heaven or hell too full to even bother with new arrivals?

She scoffed at such a thought and eased into the soft sand beneath her, listening to the smoothing surrounding sounds. There was a constant crackling snap that sounded like flames dancing in a campfire. Then a loud whistling of the winds and—wait, was that the same voice again? Puzzled, the warlock tried to ignore everything else and concentrate on the voice. A moment passed and the voice was completely silent, confusing her deeply.

Suddenly two strong hands curled under her body and lifted her up. Khallis went to scream but her voice was lost to her so she attempted to pry the hands off her. Well she thought she did but due to how weak she had become, it was impossible for her to move.

"Khallis!" a voice rings loudly in her ears, causing the warlock to winch in pain. "Can you hear me?"

The voice sounded awfully like a certain man she knew of but the warlock was sure that she had died and the hunter was on his way to Earth without her. So why was she able to…?

"You're okay! You'll be fine!" the voice continued and she could hear the desperation in his voice.

His words were enough to force the warlock to open her eyes. What she thought was the afterlife looked strangely like the dusty red dunes of Mars. She blinked her weakened eyes furiously, trying to comprehend what she was seeing. In the distance, she could see a half buried Jumpship with wild flames kindling the top of its metal surfaces. The familiar coat of painting and shape of the Jumpship had the gears in her mind reeling with recognition. Tall smooth pillars of stone peeked above large sand dunes as her eyes turned to the ethereal coloured sky. A milky orange sky littered with puffs of shimmering silvery clouds and specs of lonesome minuscule stars dazzled her eyes. She exhaled sharply, her eyes barely able to keep open at what she was seeing.

Eventually the picturesque view was smothered by sharp twisting folds of metal and steel as a dull and dark metal roof came into view. Khallis turned her heard barely and noted long aging grey walls boxing her in. She held a deep breath as she glanced down at the dirty marble floors, quizzically. She was getting carried bridal-style deeper into some sort of facility and judging by the looks of it, an old long abandoned research lab. But as her mind attempted to piece together everything like a scattered unfinished jigsaw puzzle, Khallis mused over how she had come to be here.

Did she not die?

"We're going be fine. You're going be fine…" the voice mutters and finally the warlock decided to examine the very person that was carrying her. What she saw as she traced her eyes up to the person's helmet made her mind spin. Her eyes lingered on his helmet for a moment, noting the swirls and intricate designs carved on the side of its steel surface. There was something eerily familiar about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

He eventually set her down against a wall and she noted the anxiety in his jittery movements.

"We should be safe here…" the man mumbled as he crouches down to eye level with her. Hastily he ripped a long strip of clothe from his cape and begun tending to a wound she had finally noticed on her left shoulder. "I need to stop the bleeding…"

Moments later, his white and pale blue Ghost materialised in front of them and Khallis had to do a double take of the Ghost. She went to speak but once again no voice was heard so she instinctively reached out and plucked the Ghost from the air.

"Well, I say!" the Ghost shrilled in shock. "Unhand me, you blundering fool!"

The Ghost in her hands felt too real to be a simple figment of her imagination and she couldn't help but curl the small entity closer to her chest. Something about this Ghost emitted a warm that resonated within her soul. A soft sob escapes her lips and she found herself crying, her heart racing with new possibilities.

She was alive, disorientated and hurt but alive nonetheless.

"K-Khallis?" the man inquired, reaching out to squeeze her arm slightly.

The warlock smiled under her helmet and shook her head, releasing the ill-tempered Ghost as it darted away from her immediately. She began chuckling, unable to believe she was alive and took a hold of Pahanin's hand. He was warm too.

She gave herself a moment to compose herself before pulling the man into her for a warm tight embrace regardless of how weak she felt. Although shocked at first, Pahanin returned the gesture and patted her back, assuming she was thankful she had just survived a dreadful ordeal. They stayed like this for a while, listening to each other's hearts beat steadily. Finally Pahanin pulled away and coughed into his hand, feeling slightly embarrassed he had been caught up in the moment.

Khallis could only snigger and watched as the hunter continued to bandage her injuries.

"I'm so glad you're okay" Pahanin said after a moment of uncomfortable silence. "I mean, when I pulled you out…I didn't check for a pulse and I just—I just didn't know what to do."

Khallis nodded her head slowly as she sluggishly rested her head against the wall. Her body ached for sleep and her mind was still spinning painfully in circles. Pahanin grimaced at her deteriorating form and turned his eyes worryingly to his Ghost for guidance. His pale Ghost however was fixated on the shabby double doors they had just entered from with a stern stare that made the hunter uneasy. The small gears in its body twisted and turned before it darted over to his side urgently, its eyes awakening every warning bells in his body. The hunter tensely stood to meet his Ghost who made several alarming sounds.

"We've got trouble!" his Ghost cried.

"What?!"

"_He_ is coming. We have to leave, now!" replied his Ghost desperately.

Pahanin paled at his Ghost words and shivered involuntarily. He didn't have to question his Ghost to know whom he was referring to.

Their executioner had come for their heads.

Dredgen Yor had found them.

But what did Dredgen Yor want from them? Was it for sport? Did they know too much? Whatever that man wanted, Pahanin knew that he would kill them for it. But what could Pahanin do when Khallis was too weak to defend herself? She was in no state to move after what she had been through. His Ghost buzzed about, pressuring him about wasting too much time standing around.

Khallis feebly opened her eyes just as Pahanin reached down and softly touched her helmet. She blinked her eyes slowly, watching him carefully as he apologized deeply to her. Unable to comprehend why he was apologizing; Khallis listened carefully as he produced a bloody beaten Warlock's Bond that made her heart race. He smiled sadly down at the bond and unrolled her clenched fist to lay the object in her palm. She felt a cold chill travel down her spine as he then unstrapped his own cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders securely. She shifted uneasily, knowing all too well what he was doing. Pahanin then called for her own Ghost to appear, ignoring her silently pleads to not go through with this. Gnat, her Ghost materialized instantly and cocked its single eye at the hunter suspiciously.

"Hey" Pahanin said with a soft smile, "I need you to take care of Khallis for me, okay?"

"Always" her Ghost beamed. "What will you do?"

"I…I need to keep Dredgen Yor away from her" he explained with a sigh.

Upon hearing his decision, Khallis shook her head to object furiously. Her darkest fears were confirmed. Pahanin caught the movement and chuckled lightly at her. He patted her once more and climbed to his feet as she instinctively reached out to grab him. But her hand merely grasped air as she felt a sob escape her lips. Her body trembled violently and tears threatened to cascade down her cheeks once again. She shook her head, mentally screaming for Pahanin to stop and return to her side.

She knew what he was doing was suicidal. That if he left this room, then that would be the last time she would see him. She screamed but her voice was weak, inaudible. Pushing herself off the wall, she collapsed to the ground on her stomach painfully and continued to cry for the man. Begging him to not go with her soundless voice.

But he never looked back, even after he had departed the room. This had torn her heart to pieces and she cried pitifully until she blacked out.

* * *

"It's here, right? You can feel a presence here?"

A soft male voice woke Khallis from her slumber. She knew not how long she had been out or what time of day it was. Her eyes felt too heavy to open as she slowly exhaled and tasted the humid air that seeped in from the cracks in the walls of the room. She felt her Ghost stir awake, standing tall to protect her.

"Who are you?"

Somewhere in the distance, Khallis heard the crackle of muffled gunfire. Her body flinched as boots scrapped nosily across the floor towards her. Every hair along her body stood up as she clenched her hands into a tight fist. Who was this person? What did they want? It couldn't be Dredgen Yor, could it?

"You are her Ghost, correct? I don't think you need to worry about that..."

"What? Stay away!" Her Ghost cried.

Khallis had wanted to get up, raise her head to defend herself but her body had still not recovered yet. It didn't help that her conscious was continuingly fading in and out. A moment later she heard her Ghost scream and some loud crackle of noises as if something had been set off. The room shook slightly and she felt a jolt of electricity run up her spine. Then an eerie silence lapsed over and made Khallis shiver involuntarily. The spark of light emanating from her Ghost had suddenly shut off. Like he had just fallen into a deep slumber which irked her.

What had happened?

"Well, now what?" spoke the male voice which was quickly followed by a high pitch noise. The male eventually sighed. "I guess we have to, we'll take her back to the ship."

Seconds later she felt two strong hands reach down and gripped her. She shuddered at the cold touch and though she had tried to resist as much as possible, she knew that it was futile. She was into someone's arms now and she couldn't do anything to stop them. The echoes of guns and explosions resonating across the entire building sent small shockwaves here and there. But that steady drum of noises was what soothed her back to sleep, as much as she hated it.

* * *

Pahanin dropped into a clumsily roll in order to dodge Dredgen Yor's rain of bullets. Each bullet penetrated the wall behind him as he scrambled for cover. His heart hammered wildly in his chest and he swallowed nervous lumps caught in his throat. Dredgen Yor was a deadly foe and he had been unprepared when he ran head first into him in a tight narrow hallway. There was no easy way to go about this, especially when executing guardians was his enemy's profession. He didn't bet on his luck that he would survive this encounter but he wanted to do anything and everything in his power to at least save his friend, Khallis. Even if it was just to buy her enough time.

The hunter had ended up losing his handcannon and Super Good Advice in the process and cursed his luck as he saw Dredgen's shadow approach his hiding spot. Counting to three, Pahanin waited until Dredgen Yor crept up from above him then acted out. His hand launched out connecting with Dredgen's ankle and he yanked his leg from under him, causing the executioner to fall on his back. The executioner groaned but quickly rolled off the table just as Pahanin's hunting knife struck the spot where his head was seconds ago.

"Crap" hissed the hunter as he yanked his hunting knife free. He was so close.

Dredgen Yor brought his gun up and quickly fired three rounds at the agile hunter. His bullets missed inches from the hunter's head. Pahanin answered his assault by sliding to a stop and kicking a table into Dredgen Yor way. The executioner was fast however and used his hand to catch the table before it did any damage to him. Then he realised that the furniture was merely a ploy in order for Pahanin to escape to safety.

He cursed and gave chase to the fleeing hunter, anger boiling through his veins.

Running out into the long eroding hallway, the executioner spotted his target escaping towards a small stairwell. He hurried after him and stopped to aim his gun up between the gaps of the stairs for a moment. Firing two rounds, his bullets managed to graze Pahanin in the leg.

Pahanin swore loudly and quickly rammed through a door in the side to avoid any more harm. Dredgen was quick on his heels after him but pulled to an abrupt stop as Pahanin whirled around and slashed at him wildly just at the exit. Dodging the slashes by a fraction, the executioner retaliated with his fist. The blow connected with Pahanin's chin and he yelped as he stumbled back in pain.

That gave Dredgen Yor enough time to pounce on the hunter. His fist and kicks knocked the wind out of him and he was sent sprawling to the ground in a painful mess. Dredgen watched and waited until he was back on his feet again to brandish his own knife. Now armed, Dredgen Yor quickly covered the distance between the two, slashing his blade elatedly at the other.

Shuffling back to avoid another blow, Pahanin mustered some energy and struck back. His slashes nibbled at Dredgen Yor's armour and cut a shard of his helmet free. Frustrated, the executioner produced his gun once again and was on the verge of firing it until Pahanin managed to disarm the weapon from his fingertips. His Thorn cluttered nosily to the ground and slipped between some floorboards to the floor below. Clearly no lost to its owner.

"Will you look at that" Dredgen Yor uttered with a hint of amusement. "You're a piece of something, ain't ya?"

"What is it that you want from me?" Pahanin demanded.

Dredgen Yor scoffed with a roll of his eyes and quickly dusted his shoulders. He refused to answer him and quickly gathered some dark energy into the palm of his hands until it was as big as a basketball. With a cry, the hunter hurled the orb at Pahanin who leapt out of the way in time. The orb smacked right into the wall, creating a small crater and eroding a large chunk of it.

Dredgen Yor then charged him like a deranged man with his knife poised high and thirsty for a kill.

Pahanin braced himself for the on slaughter with his trusty blade. As Dredgen swiped his blade at him aiming for his vitals, Pahanin struggled to predict his movements. Eventually he found an opening and his clenched fist snaked between the ex-guardian's blows into his stomach. Dredgen Yor gasped and reeled backwards, coughing in pain. The blow was enough to stun him for a few seconds but that's all that Pahanin needed. He decided to not waste any time by standing around dumbfounded. He bolted down the hallway, seeking an escape from the dark infused murderer. He needed to get away far enough from him. Then catch his breath and launch a counterassault on him, if he even thought of having a chance against the ex-guardian.

A couple of seconds later, Pahanin ears picked up on the sounds of boots scrapping against the floors and he urged himself to run faster. As he dipped into a spacious room filled with large dusty machines used to test and mix many chemicals and DNA together, Pahanin searched about. Not a moment later, Dregden Yor entered the room, already slashing his knife at him. Pahanin yelped and stumbled backwards until he slammed into a steel cart containing medical trays and other rusty instruments. He paused, his eyes glancing over an old rusty red cylinder before darting back to the approaching executioner.

"Shit" he grimaced.

Pahanin gritted his teeth together and reached out to grasp the red cylinder. Using his good arm, he hurled it straight at the approaching hunter who skidding to a stop. The hunter released a bolt of magic at the object and it exploded in mid-air. The explosion devoured the very space between them, throwing the pair backwards on impact. Pahanin ended up rolling haphazardly against a wall. As he climbed to his feet and watched the smoke slowly cleared, the spot where the canister had exploded created a very wide crater, revealing the floor below them.

Across the crater, Pahanin spotted Dredgen Yor climbing out of the wreckage of broken medical carts and debris. But it wasn't enough to stop the ex-guardian as he sprung back to his feet, angrier than before.

With a growl, Dredgen Yor closed the distance between the two just as Pahanin. The executioner rammed into the frantic man and the pair punched a human-sized hole through a weakly built wall into another room. Pahanin screamed and rolled to a stop against a stack of tables. His back ached from the sudden pressure and he shook his head that had starburst developing. As he stood up using the support of the table, Pahanin's hand knocked into a few glass test tubs and beakers. He paused then scooped them up and tossed it at the other hunter.

Dredgen Yor dodged the air-assault of delicate glasses and hurriedly mustered up some more negative energy into his palms, then slammed it at the other hunter. The attack hit Pahanin directly and caught him off guard as he reeled backwards in pain.

Dredgen Yor didn't stop there and hurled a poisonous mist directly at Pahanin that would have suffocated him the longer he lingered in its embrace. Pahanin barely had time to escape the toxic fumes as he dived off to the side. Out of breath, the hunter scrambled to his feet again just as the ex-guardian came at him. He slashed at him, aiming for his throat and head. Pahanin had to reel back further to avoid his deadly strikes but a hand had shot out and grabbed a fist full of his shirt and he screamed as he was propelled into the air. Tossing the hunter over his shoulders, Pahanin was sent soaring in the air into a glass cabinet filled with chemicals and bottles.

As he landed, the contents spilled all over him and the floor but his main concern was the sharp shards of glass that came down on him. Dredgen Yor reached down to lift the injured hunter to his feet without delay. Anticipating the movement, Pahanin struck out with his blade and managed to slice the other's palm. Bright red blood escaped from the new wound and Dredgen Yor hissed as he retaliated with his own knife. Pahanin managed to roll out of the way but still earned a swallow cut in his shoulder.

The pair glared down at one another, both breathing heavily. Pahanin exhaled deeply and mustered what little strength he had left to continue fighting. Dredgen Yor took his sudden boost of determination as a joke and couldn't help but scoff at him.

"You think you can take me?" The ex-guardian sneered, blocking a punch launched to his head.

"I reckon I can."

"Fool" he muttered in reply.

Dredgen Yor came at him with a flurry of precise punches and nasty low kicks that Pahanin managed to counter and parry. It was like a deadly rehearsal of calculated blows and attacks that didn't prove to be effective, due to their equality in expertise. Blocking and parrying, slipping between holes in their attacks, low and agile jabs. Their attacks eventually led to disarming each other from their respected knives and turned into an all-out fist fight. Brute strength and speed put to the test as well as fast thinking. Pahanin soon found a small opening between the deadly exchange and punctured through it, hitting Dredgen in the stomach to make him stagger back. Giving no time to react to the new pain, the hunter barrelled straight at Dredgen, knotting his arms around his waist and driving him into an aging glass cabinet. The cabinet exploded in a shower of splinters, glass and ancient medical fluids.

Pahanin ignored the sting of sharp glass cutting his arms and delivered a series of painful blows to Dredgen Yor's stomach and chest. The hunter gasped but quickly defended himself by kneeing the other in the stomach. He finished it off with an overhand hammerblow that dropped Pahanin to the ground gasping for air almost immediately.

Taking a sharp breath of air, Pahanin quickly rolled out of an incoming stomp attack and gathered himself to his feet. Pahanin then pulled up an old wooden chair he managed to grab and used it as a prop to slap the executioner with. The sudden attack managed to stun the man for a few seconds. Just enough time for Pahanin to spring for his discarded weapon. Once his knife was in his hand, he was ready to tackle his opponent once more. As he whirled on his heels, confidently daring Dredgen Yor to put up a fight, he froze at what he saw next.

In that split second, Dredgen Yor had retrieved his own knife. As he spun it confidently between his fingers and settled into a comfortable stance, Pahanin paled drastically. How?

The pair stood facing each other with laboured breaths. Emotions were running wild and their adrenaline was keeping them on edge. Dredgen Yor was first to move, leaping into action with his knife slicing the air, aiming for a killing blow. Pahanin dropped back, shuffling just out of harm's way. As the knife came down at him, intending to stab at his heart, Pahanin elbowed Dredgen Yor's wrist out of the way and brought his knife up to pierce his exposed neck.

The executioner anticipated the move however and dropped his knife quickly. In that same moment, Dregden's left hand had managed to catch the falling knife and elbow the impending attack away with his right arm. Then he slashed at Pahanin's wrist, earning a scream of agony from the guardian and as his weapon cluttered nosily to the ground, Dredgen Yor struck again. The executioner's blade sank deep into his target's shoulder then he impaled him in the stomach twice. Pahanin gasped, kicking and shoving him back as he twirled on his heels. But the movement was so sudden that he lost his balance and collapsed to the floor, winded.

Dredgen Yor didn't stop there though. He leapt on his back, stabbed the man's torso another three more times then ripped his helmet free. Pahanin exhaled nosily, tasting dry dust and blood in his mouth as he struggled to keep alive. He hacked and coughed violently, his body already shutting down on him. As he struggled to breath, Dredgen Yor pulled away and dusted himself off as if the task was miniscule and just an everyday occurrence to him.

"What a shame" Dredgen Yor said sadly.

Pahanin coughed up more blood, unable to respond with words.

"And here I thought, I would finally find someone who can match me in battle" continued the executioner as he inspected his wounds.

With a sharp intake of breath, Pahanin mustered as much energy as he could to speak. Though it hurt, he clung on desperately to life still. "Y-you…monster."

Dredgen Yor quirked an eyebrow up at him then chuckled. "A monster? I suppose I am one, not that that is a bad thing."

He shook his head pitifully at the injured hunter on the ground and waved a hand in the air, producing a swirl of black magic from thin air. The magic generated from his fingertips eventually solidified into a pitch-black weapon. Pahanin whimpered weakly, discovering that the executioner had the power to summon his Thorn back into his hands so effortlessly. He could have simply ended this battle ages ago. With as much strength he had left in his body, Pahanin forced himself to sit upright, using the furthest wall for support. He felt his breath quicken, his heart racing to keep his beaten broken body alive.

Pahanin froze when the gun's barrel was eventually shoved right into his face and he swallowed a dry lump in his throat as stared up at his impending doom.

"I warned you" Dredgen Yor taunted. "That you were a fool to think you could take me on."

Pahanin grinded his teeth together and clenched his trembling hands into a fist at his side. Eventually he knelt down to Pahanin's level and grasped a handful of his hair. Raising his Thorn up, he tapped the barrel of his gun against Pahanin's chin and cheek playfully.

"Beautiful isn't it? I spent a long time crafting such a masterpiece." The hunter said with great satisfaction. "Once I thought of her as a Rose. But such a name is unsuited for such a tainted beauty. She has nothing but needles and thorns, you see?"

"…W-what?"

"Lost, ain't you?" the hunter laughed. "Well, I didn't expect much from a lowly guardian to understand."

"You won't …get a-away with…this" Pahanin snarled between breaths.

Dredgen Yor scoffed. "With your murder? I think I will."

"The Tower –the guardians, t-they'll prevail and we'll stop you and… Akvar."

"Akvar? Don't lump me in with that saphead" Dredgen Yor said as if he was insulted by the hunter's words. With a scoff, the ex-guardian stood up, still training his gun at the hunter's head. From where he was standing, he couldn't help but feel his chest bubble with excitement. It was always fun to beat down a lone guardian, strip them of everything and then brutally murder them with his Thorn. He laughed, enjoying Pahanin's frustration with hilarity.

"Any last words?" Dredgen Yor offered.

Pahanin recoiled in pain and coughed agonizingly into his unsteady hands before finally speaking. He sounded even more weaker than before and Dredgen Yor almost had to lean in closer to hear him. "Y-yeah. You're…pathetic."

The ex-guardian's mouth twisted into a frown and he raised a curious eyebrow up at the feeble hunter. He had been called many things, most of which were obscene but never pathetic. His silent pause was enough for Pahanin to erupt into a fit of chuckles. He smiled, shaking his head as if enjoying every second of Dredgen Yor's irritation. With a roll of his eyes Dredgen Yor pulled the trigger and watched Pahanin's head explode in a brilliant spray of crimson blood against the aging crackling walls behind him. Satisfied, Dredgen Yor then turned his attention to Pahanin's Ghost and fired a single round into it.

With both guardian and Ghost eliminated, the heartless hunter paused a moment to watch his Thorn glow with satisfaction, having devoured what little light the pair had left. Then he turned to leave. All that was left to do was locate the female warlock and Pahanin's famed weapon.

Just as the executioner turned to leave the crime scene, a sudden explosion bellowed across the building. The room shook violently that Dredgen Yor had to use the wall for support. He turned, his eyes darting wildly towards the window where he spotted a large militarized airship hovering in the sky. He clicked his tongue and stormed for the hallway just as another explosion torn the room in half. As he scrambled for safety, several other smaller ships advanced forward, dropping large life forms to the ground.

"What in tarnation? The Cabal?"

Taking a sharp left, Dredgen Yor rushed for the stairwell, skipping steps and jumping down levels partially broken from years of decay. As he reached the bottom, several more explosions rocked the building and his balanced swayed only slight. The hunter pressed on, his heart and mind racing in sync. Why was this happen? As he turned into a fork in the hallway, his eyes locked immediately on a small squad of bronze coloured humanoid entities littering in the connecting room.

It was then that he realized something was fishing about this entire get up. The Vex were here, preparing to blast holes in his body and behind them, the Cabal were close. As he curtly dived for cover, sinking behind a wall and watched as several plasma beams collide with the furthest wall to his right, the hunter quickly connected the dots together. There could only be one solution to his growing problems.

Akvar.

And he swore loudly as he raised his weapon, counting to three before engaging the Vex.

"Fuck him and his storms!"

* * *

**DinoGuy2000 – **Bad guys always have something in store for everyone! They're never without a plan! Unless, caught off-guard. Well with the way things are going, we could only hope, aye?

**Bladed Raptor – **Boy do I miss you, buddy haha! Well there's more where last chapter came from with this one! Hey, have to add in some comedy here when Evan isn't presented! But honestly, I didn't mean for Dredgen Yor to be funny in that aspect haha. Get to work! Been too long! I demand my juicy hive chapter pronto!

**Countess of Monleigh –** Don't hurt yourself falling off chairs, love! T-that…I'm a monster huh? There's more here and I'm afraid things are just going to turn sour for these poor souls! I guess that means I have to start building a safe house underground to escape your wrath…

**DeltaAgent –** Thanks a lot for the review my friend! It means the world to me! I'm ecstatic to hear such praises for my little story! And yes, time to eliminate some baddies! Also Destiny feels too PG whenever I play it even though its rated M. I'm happy to hear you love the House of Plagues! I really enjoy writing them as well! Oh and this story is set some years before the actual game, way before us guardians were revived by Dinklebot!

**Ghiaronnileo –** thanks very much for the review, friend!


	20. XIX - Expiration date

**A/N: Long time no see guys. Thought I was dead, right? Nah, I've taken a holiday from everything and trying to get my writing mojo back. Can't say updates will be frequent but I haven't abandoned this story yet! **

**Also, if you see a *_hive _****_language_, the translation will be near it in order to save you the trouble of scrolling to the bottom page for it!**

Lead plum – bullet

Cultus – despicable, worthless, stupid

Lickspittle – insult, a very low person, dishonest, no good

Go to Halifax = a mild oath for "go to hell."

Tarnation – Damnation

Sam hills - euphemism for the devil

* * *

_**Circle of War**__  
"Understanding is not an end, but a beginning from which new truths are born"_

**CHAPTER NINETEEN –**_**Expiration date.**_

"To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day" spoke a voice that sounded so familiar and yet so unacquainted stirred Riley from his slumber.

Accompanied by the dull sounds of a whistling engine, the man slowly opened his eyes to embrace a world bathed in a powerful warm light. Golden yellow skies parted by growing fluffy grey clouds were among the first things Riley saw. It took him a few seconds to register what was so familiar about this certain inviting sky.

Venus.

A golden paradise filled with wild and uncharted terrains. Peaks of green and blue hues were creeping up over the horizon signifying the call of a night-time transition. The young man groans, rising from his spot at the back of a jeep, surrounded by duffle bags, two other sleeping men and the cool of a breeze sweeping in through the winded down windows. On a dusty pebbled road, lined with rows of feral overgrown trees and greenery, Riley attempted to decipher what he doing before he awoken.

It didn't take long however for the man to finally recall what was going on. That's right! He was on duty on Venus working with his brother's squad. They had just returned from an expedition in uncharted areas not too long ago too.

He must have fallen asleep as soon as they all piled into the jeep before dusk had come.

"To the last syllable of recorded time—and all our yesterdays have lighted fools" continued the voice catching Riley's attention. At the front of the jeep sat four other occupants, all listening intently to what the voice was saying.

"The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!" the owner of the voice spoke, a tall and confident looking man with short ashen brown hair and deep green eyes that reminded one of springtime ferns. The corners of his mouth were pulled up into this boyish grin that radiated pride and mischief. His grin was what connected the odd pieces in Riley's mind as he recalled instantly that this man was his older brother Zachery. Reaching out, Riley grabbing his brother by the shoulder and caused the man to peel his eyes from the page he had been glued to.

At first there was confusion and his next line of words was lost as he silently evaluated the perplexed look on Riley's face. But his quizzical stare was replaced with glee and he brushed Riley off with a smile and scoff, his eyes buried back to the paragraph he had been reading. Riley slumped back in his position, brows knotted together.

Something at the back of Riley's head was nagging him but the young man couldn't quite put a finger on it. At the same time, he also felt this hollow space in his chest that made his heart flutter uneasily.

"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage. And then is heard no more" Zachery said again, catching Riley's confounded stare. There is an odd glint in Zachery's eyes but the older man did not waver in his tone of voice as he finished the passage. "It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury—signifying nothing."

The other three men who were awake all made a noise of acknowledgement to his words but the driver, a brute of a man grunted and was clearly not at all following what the man had been saying. He glances up through the rear-view mirror at Zachery with clear confusion written all over his face. Riley knew him as Pete, the heavy lifting man of their squad, strong and reliable but had a nasty quick temper and not at all well-reserved in anything as old as one thousand years ago.

"What the fuck is that, Picasso?"

"Hey, Picasso was a painter you uncultured fuck!" spat a lanky and dark-skinned man named Raj with a heavy foreign accent. The group knew the tanned-skinned man as an insane realist with a horrid habit of correcting everyone's faults. Riley could mildly recall Zachery had once called him a Grammar Nazi only more excessive—whatever that was.

Pete glared hard at him but quickly turned back to the road, growling in protest to his outburst. "Shut it, Raj. No one asked for your opinion."

Raj made a face and was about to berate the man until Zachery's voice cut the tense atmosphere.

"It's a quote from Macbeth by William Shakespeare? Do you not read, Pete?" he said curtly in order to lighten the mood. Still retaining that smirk, the soldier turned his eyes to a dazed Riley and winked playfully.

"Isn't that eons old? How the hell did you even find that?" huffed Pete again.

"At the dig site we just left? It was found in that old hidden chamber with those old human bones" Zachery explained as he turned back to his book, flipping the old worn pages carefully. "You should really take up some reading—could learn a thing or two about the old civilization."

"Who wants to know what happens 100 of years ago?" Pete mutters over his shoulder.

"I do" Riley admits and earns a strange look from Pete to whom he ignores as he scoots closer to Zachery. His brother merely chuckles and lifts the book up to give him a better visual of its crumbled pages. Barely legible, Riley could make out a few faded paragraphs that seemed to speak nothing but poetic nonsense. Well poetry was never his strong suit when it came to English even if he tried to comprehend its crafty scripts. He did admit that poetry was a beautifully written piece however, he just wasn't keen on trying to understand it.

"Oh of course!" Pete sighs. "The bond brothers at it again, sharing hobbies like twins!"

"No need to be jealous" laughs Zachery which only made the other man snort.

"Why would I need to be jealous when you lot of kids are like the six brothers I never had!"

"Pete, please." Cooed another voice, Tigon, the silent passenger to Pete's left at the front. All eyes were on the rather stoic cluster of metal and hard steel. A strange but impressive robotic machine built to assist in the battles ahead. They called him an EXO, an extraordinary product built to progress mankind in their endeavours. There was something uncanny with Tigon's appearance that made Riley's inside stir uncomfortably once again.

Tigon eventually paid the stares no mind as he continued to watch the road ahead, his eyes always scanning for the first signs of trouble as he had been programed to. "I rather call my gun my brother than you."

"What's that, scrapheap?" whirled Pete as he abruptly pulls the jeep to a screeching halt. The motion was so sudden that if Riley had not been clinging to his seat, he would have toppled over into his brother lap. The two front seaters exchanged heated glares to one another sparking a long growing battle the pair had for one another. It wasn't a given that since Tigon had been assigned to their team, that Pete was all over it. At one point, Zachery mused aloud that Pete might have a hatred for things not organic, but that was only his speculation. However, Riley was starting to see some truths to his wild accusation and eventually everyone joined in.

To stop the pair from engaging in another round of heated dispute, Raj reached up and snapped his fingers between the two. Snapping them out of their daze, he pointed ahead, signalling for them to stop their childish games to what was up ahead. The road seemed to end right at the gates of a large fortified complex not a mile away.

"Come on guys, stop fighting. We're almost there." Raj insists with a roll of his eyes. "Let's just go. I could do with a warm bath about now."

Pete makes a noise to acknowledge his words but says nothing as he ignites the engines. With a roll of his eyes, the occupants settle back into complete silence, listening to the jeep roar with life. As they got closer, Pete slowed the Jeep down just as some guards armed with guns and some imposing suits of armour stopped them. One of them remained in the small boom barrier booth to the left, watching them warily as Pete winded his window down.

"Credentials?" spoke one of the guards who intercepted them. The other remained alert and ready to engage them should they attack.

Quickly, Pete handed him a small silver tag fashioned in a necklace around his neck. The guard quickly produced a small scanner that beeped and flashed some lights upon analysing the tag's identification code. Once Pete was cleared, the guard moved on to the other occupants of the jeep until everyone had been scanned and read. He eventually nodded his head and hailed the third guard in the booth to allow them to pass. The dirty red and white boom bar rose with a loud snap and Pete drove through.

As Pete pulled into the complex, Riley took a moment to immerse himself in the familiar atmosphere of their old army bunker. Since their deployment two years ago, the Kempfr brothers had called this old bunker their home. It wasn't most homey kind of place, but it was home nonetheless for the siblings and its residences.

"Home sweet home" Zachery sighs as a small exchange of nods were received.

More than half the tenants residing within the wall were actively still working, running to and from places without so much as a concern of the returnees. Diligently patrolling its boundaries were several small groups of men armed to the teeth with weapons and stoic expressions. The occupants of the jeep slowly but surely begun filtering out into the humid air of the descending day as Pete parked it. By now, large scales of purple, blue and ethereal greens were covering majority of the once bright yellow sky. Darkness casted large shadows, blackening the world around them as they unloaded the jeep of their belongings and quickly hobbled towards a large grey building covered in old ivy vines. Lights from lamp posts begun flickering on, illuminating the way for them.

The guards at the front greeted them with a curt nod, resuming his guard duty without so much as battering an eye. The group shuffled in, sleep deprived and sore from the long journey home.

"It's good to be back" Sighed Zachery as he adjusted the two duffle bags in each arm.

"Yeah? We won't be here for long" grumbled Raj as he shuffled pass the man. "Give it a day and we'll be back out on the field, patrolling sector T11 again."

Zachery gave him one of his famed smirks and shook his head, "you sure you're not related to Pete?"

Raj's response was flipping the finger at him but quickly shoved his hand into his pocket as his eyes locked onto someone approaching the group from down the hallway.

"Captain Kempfr!" bellowed a large gutted man decorated in an ugly crinkled olive coloured suit. Under one arm was a beaten black and green hat whilst the other was dabbing a grey handkerchief across his sweaty bald head. It _almost_ seemed the brisk walk was the root to his sweating but the squad knew that the rather large man would never admit such an outlandish thing. The squad of men rallied up and stood rigidly still as Zachery took a step forward, hand raised to salute Colonel Milford in respect. The rest followed suit, keeping their salutes raised and eyes hardened.

"Sir!" Zachery replied.

"Get your men ready and sorted and meet in the briefing room for further instructions in 30 minutes" hissed the bald colonel with narrowed eyes. He gave them all a once over with his scrawny small eyes then turned on his heels to leave. Once he rounded the corner and was out of sight, the group all sighed in unison.

"30 minutes only?" Pete cried rather dejectedly, "we only just got back!"

"Orders are orders" Rajs grumbles but is quick to come to terms with the sudden arrangements. He figured as much that it wouldn't be long before they were back out there in the heat, doing whatever the colonel wanted them to do. This was pretty much the norm for the small group and as much as they hated it, it was their duty.

"30 minutes tops..." said a husky voice behind the group. Riley turned, eyes locking onto a short raven haired man. With a rather loud yawn, the man, the second last member of their team that had been sleeping at the back of the jeep for the majority of the ride—smiled reassuringly at them. "It's longer than last time, that's for sure."

"Oh please, Francis, 30 minutes is nothing!" snapped the other sleepy male beside him. A slightly chubbier man named Norman who would valiantly defend himself if someone called him fat. Riley recalled minutely the first moment Pete had seen Norman. He outright called the man a fat sack of shit just to rile him up. Norman retaliated with a firm punch to Pete's face and screamed that he wasn't fat but big boned and that it '_ran'_ in the family. Of course that was shattered when Raj told him rather bluntly, 'No one ran in your family!'

The memory brought a smirk to his face as the two pair of sleepyheads continued to glare at one another, eager to pounce on one another. Zachery noted his rather strange smirk and craned his head to one side, silently questioning him with his eyes. Riley quickly snapped out of his trance and shook his head, mentally telling his brother that it was nothing. Though he was hesitant, Zachery accepted his brother's pitiful eyes and turned back to the brewing argument underway. Before it could reach its peak, Raj stepped in swiping a hand between the two again. For some reason, Raj was on a roll today.

"28 minutes now and it'll just keep deceasing if we don't use it wisely." He muttered then turned on his heels and waltzed down the hallway. "Now unlike you buffoons, that warm shower is calling me."

"He's right" Pete muttered with a bit of resent. As much as he hated to admit it, Raj was correct—for once, in his book. "I'll see you guys in a bit."

With a wave and a few exchange of words, the group dispersed for their rooms, leaving Zachery and Riley to themselves. Zachery gave Riley a charming wink and strolled off down the hallway without a care in the world.

Riley watched him go for a moment and then willed himself to press follow—forgetting the sickening twists in his stomach not too long ago.

* * *

"I oughta pump a _lead plum_ into ya, you _cultus lickspittle_" Dredgen Yor's snarled lowly in the warlock's ear piece as he treaded nonchalantly over a rotting corpse of mangle limbs, skin and bones. Akvar had almost forgotten his channel to the hunter's COMMLINKs was still active and this had brought a rather frighteningly large grin upon the warlock's face. He had not expected Dredgen Yor's voice at all, that day which only put him in a chipper mode.

"Ah, my friend" he replied in an overly fake zealous tone. Something he knew would aggravate the hunter further. "How goes the sightseeing? Found anything interesting on Mars yet?"

"Go to _Halifax_! You set me up!"

"Now, now, that's not a very nice thing to say" laughed the warlock, drawing one of his handcannons free from its holsters and pulling the trigger. The echo of his gun followed by a bloodcurdling scream unsettled the hunter for a moment. "Accusing me of something so dastardly like that—how could you?"

"What in _tarnation_ was that?" demanded the hunter, suddenly frantic. "What are you doing?"

The warlock's smirk grew an inch larger and he moved forward, disregarding the corpse of tattered bones and robes beneath his boots. Following closely beside him were two large Praetorians and two glowing harpies. His Ghost hovers just above his shoulder, its single eye concentrating on commanding every single unit under its control all at once. Glowing sparks of violent purple and black light, his Ghost manages to summons another horde of Vex from thin air. A small group of armed Goblins and Hobgoblins joined the fray of battle.

"I'm simply exterminating some rodents" the warlock replies, not caring so much as he steps over another dead corpse.

In all honesty he was surprise the hunter was so affected by his betrayal. Was it not evident enough of each other's hostility to one another? The warlock was sure the hunter had more brains than that and was almost disappointed. This betrayal was more than long overdue but a part of him was more than delighted in the fact that he had been the first to strike.

"Hmm, I have to say, the Hive have really constructed some impressive architectures. Such intricate designs—for something so old." Akvar mutters, pausing long enough to inspect an intricately carved piece of pillar.

However his interests were quickly washed away as the screams from the Hive catches his attention and he is turning almost instantly on his heels with his weapon drawn. Two large knights producing jaggedly sharp crafted swords of stone were quick to approach him. The warlock merely sighs as his Ghost springs the Vex into action.

The Harpies were quick to open fire whilst one of the Praetorians steps in to intervene. With a powerful punch, the Praetorians stagger one of the Knights in the face and twisted the sword free from its hands. Two Hobgoblins are quick to fill the space between the two and open fire, beating the Knight back and blowing holes into its chest. It screams and succumbs to its injuries whilst the last Knight is quickly defeated as well by the second Praetorian.

"Don't ya dare—" Dredgen Yor begins, suddenly very aware what the warlock was doing.

"I'm afraid it's already too late, my friend." Replies the warlock and watches as more than a dozen dirty grey Thralls shriek and scramble out from holes between the walls. Shrilling in such high pitched voices, venting their frustration and anger out, the Thralls stormed forward but are met with a powerful punch from one of the Praetorians. With his two guards ploughing through the on-slaughter of Thralls and Hive alike, the warlock calmly descended on deeper into one of many large tunnels made by the unique and ancient race. "Also, consider our alliance officially terminated."

"Why you little—"

"—Goodbye Yor, it's sad to see you go" the warlock weeps; faking his sorrow as he quickly shuts the connection off and allows himself a moment to relax. Finally at peace with himself once more, the warlock pushes forward, gliding down a set of roughly cut stairs to the floor below. He was greeted by the sight of a large spacious room decorated in dusty old chains and black sleek structures reaching the top of the ceiling. In the centre of the room was a large circular platform with a single large levitating crystal. A low hum pulses through the room while lime green light leaks from between the cracks of the stone, inviting the warlock to step closer.

This was what he had been searching for.

A shard of the almighty light—a shard of the Traveller.

Ever since learning the Hive had managed to detain such a powerful shard, the Vex were quite curious of the fragment. However due to the resistance on the Moon, that curiosity was eventually forgotten—another more important scheme was prioritised. Whether it was by fate or Akvar's inquisitiveness or maybe even the greater designs of the Vex—here the warlock was, eager to snatch such a prize away.

He takes several steps forward, his eyes lighting up for a moment but is instantly disappointed when several Hive enter the room from various openings. Their intent was to stop him from stealing their prize possession and that only ticked the warlock off.

"And here I thought they'd just simply let me walk out with it" he sighs with a deep shake of his head.

"_Ehm j'harai thuu, leslaj hb drei khalesoi."_

_*How dare you, Child of the machine._

Akvar glanced up, spotting the source of the voice belonging to Xyor, the Unwed Wizard. As she entered through a side door, the ground shook a moment later, revealing a large and mangy Ogre following in after her. Several other Hive filtered into the room, creeping up from the shadows and surrounding them. Xyor was a majestic and wicked creature adored with rotting bones and flesh of what was once living. She levitated a fraction off the ground, her robes sliding across the stone floors as she greeted the warlock with a low snarl. The warlock frowned, not at all pleased at the sight of the army of Hive.

"There you are, Xyor" he said loudly, watching as his Ghost Sigma was quick to utilize a translation program. When he was given the confirmation that the program was up and running, the warlock continued, "I was beginning to think I'd never see you again."

"_Mraidr'leij leslaj, thuu mslala j'si ei'rai."_

_*Wretched child, you will die here._

"Now, now, that's no way to treat your allies" spoke the warlock condescendingly. He took a step forward that put the entire occupants in the room on edge, earning a satisfied smirk. Oh how he'd love to see the Hive squirm.

"_Mi mslala bihaadr ho thuura Lasvedr, jin'huura inirat'dresov thuu ehans!"_

_*We will feast on your Light, devour everything you have!_

The warlock paused and cocked his head to one side, amused. "My Light? That was extinguished long ago."

"_Bhhlasae leslaj, thuu harai adr'slala msdre Lasvedr"_ laughed Xyor, cracking her long clawed fingers and hover inches higher into the air. She was above them now, circling around her swarm of minions before stopping to land besides the Ogre, grazing a hand across its large throbbing head. Akvar grimaced and narrowed his eyes at her. _"Oh Lasvedr kihaoa lasdr'drlai bhra drei mh'raka drh bii'j uur'ho haoj thuu, leslaj—eh'ani rlai'odrt."_

_*Foolish child, you are still with Light_

_*No light means little for the worms to feed upon and you, child—have plenty._

It was then that a sudden pain bloomed in the warlock's chest and he grunted, collapsing on his knees. Something alien wiggled within him, confirming his suspicions from long ago. Sigma made a strange strangled noise and almost dropped to the floor as well but quickly pushed in a few commands that made the Vex spring into action. All at once, an all-out battle ensured. Almost immediately the Ogre charged for the downed warlock but Sigma had anticipated the movement and fluttered his shell, relaying commands to the Vex.

Promptly, the Praetorians moved to engage the Ogre, blasting purple plasma into its eye and staggering it. The Ogre growled and stumbled back a few inches just as the Harpies followed up with an on slaughter of secondary blasts. Growing irritated with the assault, the Ogre fired off a heated purple ray of void from its eye.

To protect Akvar from the deadly impact, two powerful white and silver Harpies materialized from a cloud of smoke and stood in the way. With their wings outstretched and a shriek, a wall of semi-translucent light was woven together to form an impregnable shield. The Ogre's attack hardly left a scratch as the beam diminished over time. With its eye-beam on recharge, the Vex moved in to finish off the now vulnerable Ogre.

Akvar attempted to collect himself but ended up doubling over again, coughing blood out violently. He could feel _it_ wiggling about inside him, attempting to consume him from the inside out. With bated breath, the warlock wiped the blood from his mouth and glared at the wizard rising into the air to avoid a few stray bullets. Xyor had planned this from the start; he knew the 'gift' he received was too good to be true. He was right to doubt the Hive's total obedience.

They were going to pay.

Akvar would make sure of it.

* * *

The wicked twins were at it once again.

Dominating the battlefield with whatever their hands could grasp, Hayden watched from a distance as a huge purple blast of flesh-shredding void tore a Fallen in half. It's once grey suit of armour adorn with the ragged red banners of the Devils was disintegrated into ashes. The wielder of such destructive magic, the warlock Adelia landed perfectly on her feet and laughed obnoxiously aloud as she inspected her handy work. When she spotted the red glare of Hayden's sniper rifle, she turned and waved her arms to grab his attention. The Hayden grimaced, eyeing the overly jolly woman and remained planted firmly in his spot. The pair were high above the dusty canyon, overlooking the world below. At Adelia's side, her twin sister—the titan Tetra was already putting in some work punching the living daylights out of a few disorientated dregs.

The more Hayden observed their destructive dance on the battlefield, abolishing at least two squads of Fallen reinforcements, the more he became expectantly nervous. Even with his consort, Yizuel the Hive Wizard was at his side, there was no denying the small drop of doubt in the pits of his mind. How was he to tackle these two crazy ex-guardians who had a love for battle?

He had thought him a sadist but after witnessing their last 'experiment' on the previous Fallen Captain, the hunter had begun to doubt himself.

If he ever were to take the two head on, he was convinced he would fail miserably. He would have a better chance doing it when they were separated and unaware. As the cogs and gears in his mind continued to whirl with several ideas, Yizuel grew restless and stroked his shoulders. The hunter glanced up, adjusting his footing and realized he had been sitting in the same spot for too long, without allowing blood to circulate through his legs.

He gave her a wary but curious tilt of his head.

She muttered something under her breath but then pointed with one slender long talon towards the battlefield. Hayden followed her gaze over to the mayhem and paused when the wizard urged him to look further beyond the blooded scene. So he raised his eyes an inch more and spotted in the sky, yards away—three large aircrafts accelerating their way.

With the red Banner of the Devils flapping wildly in the wind, Hayden quickly pressed a button on his helmet to establish an open channel between his comrades through their COMMs.

"Heads up, three more Skiffs heading your way."

"_Oooh, more play things!"_ came Adelia's gleeful reply. Down below the hunter spotted the warlock already skipping casually towards an injured dreg attempting to crawl away. He flinched when she practically stepped all over his broken legs and knelt down on his back, producing a Fallen Shock Dagger.

"_What's the ETA on them?"_ Tetra deadpanned, briskly hurling the corpse of a dreg into a stunned Vandal.

Hayden forced his eyes away from the gruesome scene and up at the incoming wave of ships. Quickly he estimated the proximity and climbed to a stand, holstering his sniper rifle over his shoulders and surveying his surroundings.

"Less than three minutes" he replied and nodded to Yizuel who was crackling her clawed hands eagerly for battle. This time the pair decided to engage in the fun. With a firm nod of his head, the hunter scurried higher for another vantage point. They would intercept the Skiffs first. "We'll strike them from above."

"_Sounds good, Hivie!"_ Adelia chirps delightedly.

"_Watch our backs too, Hayden."_

"Loud and clear" The hunter assured as he jumped from one point to the next. As he timed each of his jumps and footing, his ears buzzed with a strange static noise. The noise caught the hunter by surprise and he almost lost his balance had Yizuel not reached out to steady him.

Thanking the wizard profusely, Hayden allowed his Ghost to intercept the static message forcing its way into his receivers.

"It's a message…from Dredgen Yor" his Ghost confirms, already bringing up the menu in his HUD.

"Open it" came his immediate reply as he continued to scale the rocky cliff.

"An audio message—only a couple of seconds long?" replied his Ghost and played the recorded message a second later.

At first there was a crumble of noises as if someone was fidgeting with the recording then Dredgen Yor's voice broke through the silence, loud and alert.

"_Hayden, listen to me"_ he howls, speaking in the native tongue of the Hive. The sudden transition from languages perplexed the Hunter as he halted in his tracks, retracting his arm from the ledge he was gripping on. His eyes landed to Yizuel who was listening intently to the message in silence. A moment later, in between Dredgen Yor's winded gasps, the pair could make out the disturbing sounds of gunfire and an almost robotic screech.

Was that…the Vex? _"Akvar has betrayed us. He has gone to the Moon. Don't let _them_ live."_

The audio was quickly followed by a loud explosion and then an abrupt silence. The pair froze in their spot, Hayden's mouth dropping open. Instantly his eyes diverted from Yizuel's towards the approaching Skiffs and then the twins below them. His eyes finally locked onto the wizard's and he could see the wicked flames of anger exploding in her eyes. She pulled her lips back, revealing jagged sharp teeth and a ferocious snarl escaped her throat.

Hayden felt his blood run cold but was quickly returned his consort's sentiment. Mirroring his consort's expression, Hayden released the ledge he had been clinging onto and dropped to the canyon below. A second later, Yizuel followed and the pair landed smoothly to the ground in a shallow stream.

By now, the Fallen's Skiffs were above them and deploying its reinforcements to the ground. Several full units of Fallen led by a Servitor and Captain each landed in the space between the guardians. Adelia twirled, alarmed to see Hayden and Yizuel joining them. But the shock only lasted a second as she dropped to a roll to dodge an incoming swipe from a stealth vandal. Tetra had relinquished a dead dreg in her hands and was already drawing her gun, shooting down a row of charging Fallen with her pulse rifle.

"_C'slala!"_ shrieked Yizuel as a surge of Arc light coursed through her palms towards Tetra.

_*Kill!_

The titan however had managed to evade the attack by rolling right. She craned her head over, a look of disbelief hidden beneath her dark green helmet. Not too far from her, Adelia had seen the attack with the corner of her eyes as she swiped a concentrated kick into a Captain's sides—sending him sprawling across the ground not too far. However the warlock had no time to react to the assault as a shank rose above her, showering her with bullets which she barely dodged.

"What are you doing?!" Tetra's usual calm deposition was rattled by Yizuel's frontal attack.

Hayden however reinforced Yizuel's actions by drawing his auto-rifle and pressing down on the trigger. Tetra darted right, shoving an approaching vandal into the relentless rain of bullets to shield her. When the clip was emptied all into the poor vandal, Tetra was immediately drawing her pulse rifle against Hayden, tapping the trigger as three consecutive burst of blue plasma bullets soared at them. Yizuel slinked behind a large tree whilst Hayden jumped left—both dodging the bullets with relative ease.

By now, Adelia had stomped a squad of Fallen and was moving to aid her sister until Hayden flanked left, sparking Arc light from his body. Two of his hunting knives found his hands and he was skipping over to her, slashing Fallen out of his way to reach her. Adelia spun around and ducked under his first swipe, then slammed a flaming palm of Solar magic into his chest and sent him rearing backwards. As he skidded to a halt, Hayden grimaced and had briefly forgotten about Adelia's excellent talents.

If there was one thing Hayden had forgotten, it was the fact that the warlock was one of the few rare gifted guardians to be ample enough to wield two types of light. Solar and Void. It was a shame however that the female warlock wouldn't be able to pass on her teachings to another guardian. The twins would die here, Hayden swore upon his blades and the Hive craved revenge would be completed.

"You little shits!" Adelia screamed, whipping up a storm of Solar Light into the palms of her hands.

One by one she hurled it at the Hunter who danced around each flame frantically. As he approached her, he shot out a pulse of Arc that travelled along the ground towards her. She jumped into the air to evade and he followed, closing the distances swiftly. His blade came up to meet her tender stomach just as she brought her arm up to block it. The impact of their touch sent tremors of light in the air and exploded, launching them back. Adelia screamed as she was sent hurling backwards into a prickly bush. Hayden landed into a Servitor's head and quickly scrambled to impale his blade into its hard surfaces. It squealed in pain and attempted to slam Hayden into a wall, however the hunter was nimble enough to slip away.

As he got to his feet, he spotted the warlock climbing back to a stand with a hiss. Blood oozed out from the wound in her arm where his blade had cut deeply into. She glared at him, her eyes filled with a menacing glint he was mirroring only a few minutes ago. She wanted blood and he could tell as she hunched forward, her head angled to one side. With a growl, the warlock tore a strip of cloth from her robes and fastened a quick bandage to stem the bleeding. Once done, she drew her shotgun out and blew the head of a dreg off as it attempted to sneak up on her.

The hunter reacted with indifference and drew his own gun, ready to meet hers.

At first, the Fallen found it odd how the guardians were pitted against one another but were quick to recover as they took advantage of the situation. Quickly they stormed forward, attempting to pick at any openings the guardians had.

There was a sudden scream that made Hayden's head turn. Turning in time, Hayden witnessed Yizuel crashing to the ground as sparks of Arc light shot up to the sky. Immediately he attempted to run to her side but was met with a solid kick to the head that sent him rolling in the dust. As he recovered from the blow, Adelia pounced at him and unloaded a round from her shotgun. Hayden hastily scrambled out of the way and retaliated with a spray of bullets from his own auto rifle. The warlock was quick as well and dropped behind a conveniently placed boulder to the right. When he stopped, she rounded the corner and attempted to ignite him with a blast of Solar fire. The blow hit him in the shoulder and he was thrown off his own feet as she followed up with a shot from her shotgun. The hunter shifted right, scrambling to stand as the pellets of bullets missed his head and snagged his cloak instead.

Staring down the warlock with a harden glare, Hayden patting out the flames where her blow had scorched his armour lightly.

It seemed Adelia wasn't an easy target as he had assumed and that only made things more troublesome. Hayden eventually spotted Yizuel hovering back into the air and pelting Tetra with blast of dark magic. For a second he was concerned for the wizard but relief filled him upon seeing her recover easily. Suddenly, a Captain's Shrapnel launcher blasted the ground between the hunter and warlock. The pair leapt back just out of reach from the blast radius but quickly united with each other for another exchange of attacks.

Sometime during the skirmish against the twins and the Fallen, Hayden had returned to Yizuel's side and was back to back with the wizard. Both were panting heavily, having sustained injuries from the fight and were severely low on stamina. It wouldn't be too long until one of them would slip fatally and that was the least outcome they agreed upon.

"We have to end this…" Hayden muttered as he drew his weapon at the ready. Behind him, Yizuel made a noise to agree and he craned his head over his shoulders. "What should we do?"

Again the Wizard made a strange noise, deciding on their next course of action. But before she could come to a conclusion, the pair leapt out of the way from a blast of Solar light. Adelia advanced through the thick of dead Fallen she had burned but was stopped. A large Servitor rammed into her sides, throwing the warlock off course.

Nearest to Hayden, Tetra sent a shockwave of Arc light that struck him in the legs. He yelped in pain and dropped to the floor, holding the spot where it stung. Yizuel was at his side almost immediately and she growled harshly at Tetra, rising to meet the titan. She pressed the titan, tossing bolts of Arc and poisonous black smogs that suffocated everything it touched. Tetra smoothly jumped out of the way, throwing a grenade at the Wizard. With a loud bang, Yizuel was left temporarily blinded as the flashbang stunned her.

Hayden climbed to his feet and threw his hunting knife at Tetra, delaying her advancement on the staggering Wizard. Quickly he pitched his own grenade at the titan, watching as it hit the ground and sent small Arc laced projectiles honing into the titan. Tetra weaved out of the way but was hit in the arm by one stray piece, causing her to hiss.

At that moment, Hayden came at her, kicking her in the chest. She was thrown back and he un-holstered another hidden knife from his boot. In with swift motion he slashed at her as she attempted to catch his wrist. However he managed to slice her fingers off and she screamed in pain. Blood gushed out from her wound and Hayden then delivered a fatal blow to her neck which froze the titan into place. A fountain of warm crimson blood splashed to the floor as she gasped and clutched her neck. Stumbling back, her knees caved in and she plummeted to the ground, wheezing desperately for respite.

Hayden watched with twisted satisfaction as Tetra clung to life, her surprise replaced with a seething anger at the last moment. As the last of her breaths caught up with her and she begun spewing blood from her lips, Hayden heard Adelia scream from behind him. Eventually the light in Tetra's eyes faded and her breathing ceased, signifying her end. It was a pity that things had turned out this way but the hunter knew that their alliance was never meant to be.

Turning around to finish off the last twin, Hayden was shocked to see Yizuel's body launching into him, causing the Hunter to topple over.

"I'll fucken murder you, you piece of shit trash!" Adelia shrieked as she launched at them.

A large flaming ball of Solar light rushed up to meet them. The pair managed to spring out of the way but Yizuel was struck once again by Adelia's spinning kick. Hayden attempted to return the favour but received a solid punch in the head that knocked him over. Ignoring the downed wizard, the warlock stormed the hunter, her posture screaming warning bells. Getting to his feet rather shakily, the hunter was saved as a Fallen Captain leapt into action between them.

Adelia was taken by surprise by the Captain's shrapnel blast from his large cannon that sent her into a patch of grass with a shrilling scream. She gripped her left arm that had taken the full brute force of the explosive bullet; hot flames burning her armour and melting through her flesh. Adelia attempted to pat the fire out but only screamed in agony further as she rolled about.

Hayden too was thrown back off his feet not too far away but was otherwise undamaged directly from the blast. Yizuel was quick to appear at his side, helping him up as Fallen Stealth Vandals dropped in, rushing them from all sides. Yizuel kept the Fallen at bay with a cloud of poisonous smoke as Hayden collected himself. Surveying his surroundings quickly, Hayden spotted the twin's Ghost, Cortes sneakily reviving the fallen Titan. If there was one good thing about the twins was that they both shared a single Ghost. Cortes, a cowardly little entity had attempted to do her job without their knowledge but the hunter was smart and observant. If Adelia wasn't there directly to shield the Ghost, than their last resort and immortality were good as dead.

Hayden felt his adrenaline rush back up and his heart beating rapidly in his ear as he sprinted towards the Ghost with an elated expression.

He would end this, once and for all!

"No!" Adelia screamed, attempting to intercept him but was slashed by a shock blade from behind.

She screamed, shaking the cut off and kicking the Stealth Vandal in the face. But by the time she turned to stop the hunter, it was already too late. Hayden had nabbed the Ghost from the air, clenching it tightly in his hand and smirking smugly at the warlock. Anger flared in the warlock's face as she channelled magic into her palms but before she could release hell at the Hive affiliated man, Hayden had taken his hunting blade and stabbed the Ghost. The Ghost screamed a final time, its eye blinking rapidly as the blade penetrated its delicate body. Slice in half, Hayden scattered its piece to the ground like ashes, smirking pleasantly at his achievements. Adelia paled as she collapsed to the ground, her only hope for reviving her sister now extinguished.

"_Hayden, mi kuuadr vh!"_ Yizuel suddenly screamed as she pointed to the sky. Several more Skiffs had arrived and were already dropping more Fallen. It seemed like the Devils were not content with their actions and in order to ensure their victory, an army was called in. Feeling like they would be overrun at this rate, Hayden nodded his head and turned.

_*Hayden, we must go!_

"You won't get away with this, you fuckers!" Adelia cursed, followed by a string of colour swears that Hayden had a hard time keeping up with.

With a final look over his shoulder at the now barely standing warlock, Hayden bid her farewell with a mocking bow he knew would throw her into another violent fit of rage. But as much as he loved to watch the warlock continued to scream and give chase after him, the hunter was more eager to escape. Besides, Adelia was without her Ghost, alone, surrounded by the Fallen and injured. There was no escaping her evitable fate.

He was simply doing her justice by not ending her himself.

As he scaled over a large cluster of rock, the last Hayden heard of the warlock was an anguish fuming scream.

* * *

**A/N: I realized I can reply to reviews directly! Guess I'll do that and only put footnotes for guest reviews here next chapter!**

**DinoGuy2000 – **This chapter pretty much sums up their broken alliance, haha! Thanks a lot, but it's not over! Khallis can still spread the news, once she's scot-free from danger!

**Countess of Monleigh –** Hahaha! Khallis an old football? That's an interesting way to put it! Oh, you have an idea who picked up our little warlock huh? Now I wonder who you think it is! We shall see!

**DeltaAgent –** Hey, hey! The guardians have been stomping Akvar's poor little Vex, the Fallen and the Hive! They're bad too! Hopefully things have clarified for you in this chapter!

**Some fan – **thanks so much for the reviews! Glad you're enjoying the read!

**Maria –** I tried with the cowboy lingo! Had to read up on it but I'm not proud of how it sounds in my head! Evan is a good friend's OC that I adore! He's so much fun to write so I can't take any credit for his creation!

**Bladed Raptor – **Raptorrrrr! You're not the only one late to review things! Things are good! I know you're busy, hopefully you're doing well too! Riley's sanity will be questionable after all of this! I hope I can portray him right! Glad you like Dredgen Yor's nifty cowboy habits! I wanted to give him a bit more depth! Who do you think saved Khallis? I'm pretty much very curious on everyone's thoughts! Thank you! See you soon, hopefully!

**CT-Jesse – **thank you!


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